


Immortals

by HyunjinInFlowers



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, Immortality, Magic, Sorcerers, Supernatural Elements, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-02-08 12:55:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 55,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18623716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyunjinInFlowers/pseuds/HyunjinInFlowers
Summary: 9 boys with the abilities unnatural to humankind, a responsibility to come with them no doubt.What would you do with these enhancements?Mainly pranks, thievery, tropical getaways.And conquer a few demon quests apparently.*quite clearly on hold until I get my writing mojo back, sorry if anyone was interested in this story :(*





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the first chapters at least a year ago so they’re incredibly different to the rest in terms of style, but I'm way too lazy to fix my awful ability so

The hustle and bustle of the familiar market place had Woojin dipping in and out of stalls and people alike, finding his way to a quieter spot near the table he was looking for. Assortments of foods and merchandise were all laid out neatly on tables that lined the town square as they had been for the past month, the summer always bringing life back to the old English town with its annual pop up market for the season.

Approaching a stall towards the end of the strip of arrangements, Woojin caught sight of the butcher's stand with its well-kept canopy keeping the heat of the sun from frying their goods. The woman behind the large array of meats, a local farmers wife Woojin had come to learn, noticed the man and offered him a bright smile to greet.

“Ah, Mr Kim, back for more are we?” She chuckled to herself making the corners of her eyes wrinkle.

“Best in the county is it not?” The black haired man grinned himself as she pulled on a fresh pair of gloves and unhooked one of the whole chickens hanging by its feet from the rack. Just the sight would probably make any animal activist cry, it was rather graphic, the only way you could distinguish it from live poultry would be the lack of feathers.

The woman wrapped the meat and bagged it up, struggling slightly with tying it off with her shaky hands. “Here, let me tie it,” Woojin tried to offer but she refused, managing to tighten the knot.

“You young gentlemen nowadays, how very kind,” her slightly quivering arm extended to hand him the bag, him returning a five-pound note in exchange. “I may look old, but I’m still capable!”

Woojin chuckled at her words, “Nonsense, you’re probably younger than me.” He shot a playful smile as she batted her hand as if to wave him off.

“Stop it, you'll make me blush!”

Waving as he left, Woojin left the stand with the butcher's bag hanging over one arm, other groceries and junk in the other. He took a shortcut between tables, leading him straight out to the main street and away from the crowd. No time wasted, he set off on his walk home.

 

* * *

 

“I’m back!” He yelled through the apartment, slamming the door shut behind him. A clatter of items hitting the floor brought his attention to the closed door of a bedroom as it swung open and hit the wall with some force.

Woojin placed the bags on the table as he watched three incredibly excited males arrive at the table in the blink of an eye, literally. He rolled his eyes at their eagerness and carried the bags to the kitchen area to unpack them.

“Ok, Changbin I’m pretty sure I told you to clean this damn kitchen before I left..” Woojin grimaced at the sight of dirty dishes littering the place, shooting a scowl at the other when he protested.

“Chan was supposed to help me! It's not just my fault!” He almost whined as he slouched into a dining chair, the mentioned slapping his shoulder for throwing him in as well. “What took you so long anyway? We’re fucking starving.” 

“I texted you to ask where you were!” The brunette beside him piped up as he and Chan took their seats.

Woojin pulled the phone out of his pocket, waving it around, “Jeongin do you really think I know how to use this thing? When I was your age the most up to date technology I had was an oil lamp.” He threw the phone to the younger, him catching it with lightning reflexes.

The three at the table sat in confusion before Jeongin spoke up again, “Woojin… I’m ninety-fucking-six… It's not like the Nokia was invented in my generation!” He almost laughed at the older's remark, looking back to the other two who were cracking up.

“Closer than the rest of us!” Woojin argued as he washed the meat he’d just bought.

“Hey, you try keeping up with all the advancements over the past… Uh…”

“...four hundred and ninety-four.”

“-four hundred and ninety-four years!” Chan exclaimed, the two others at the table chuckling at him forgetting his own age.

Placing their meal on a large dish, Woojin made his way over to the table, careful not to drop the large bird in the process. “Well, it's not my fault you blood-suckers don't die.” He teased as he placed the bird- whole, raw, slightly bleeding bird on the table in front of them all. 

He grimaced as they began to dig in, turning his back and pacing back to the kitchen as to not see, smell or hear the teeth ripping through the raw flesh of the poor poultry.

You’d think living the past thirty years (give or take) with three of mythology’s most feared creatures would desensitize one from their eating habits. But no, you put blood in front of the three, carnage. It's not a pleasant sight to anyone, no matter how much you think you don't mind the sight of blood, seeing it drip off the fangs of a hungry vampire is more than a different experience.

Shaking the thought, Woojin unpacked the rest of the food he’d bought, leaving some bits and pieces out in order to make his own meal. He shoved everything else in a cupboard or the fridge quickly so he could start with his food preparation.

Ingredients lined the counter as he reached up to an overhead cabinet, retrieving a book from the top shelf. He placed it down beside the food items and placed his hands together. 

Woojin held his index and middle fingers together on both hands, gently striking them together in a cross formation. The action was similar to striking flint to start a fire, creating a small golden mist to swirl his palms and flow over his fingertips slowly. As he flicked his fingers in the air over the leather bound book, the pages began turning at a moderate pace, falling to a page somewhere in the middle.

The gold mist settled from the book, retracing his hands as he then hovered them carefully over the ingredients in front of him. Reciting the early Latin printed in the book and a snap of the fingers, the ingredients were now a fully prepared meal with no effort at all. Too lazy to put it away manually, Woojin waved the book shut and sent it floating back to the top shelf as he strolled back to the dining table with his nicely presented and “cooked” to perfection food in hand.

As expected, the three at the table had polished off their meal and were lounging in their seats, small smudges of red across the face. Woojin sat at the table across from Chan, grimacing as the blond licked his fingers of any chicken remains.

“You are all cleaning the filth off your faces before you even think about going near that sofa.” He warned as the three began to scatter. Both the eldest and youngest grumbled as they made their way to the bathroom, while Changbin ignored the warning since he was actually clean. Settling for face down on the sofa, Changbin fumbled with the TV remote he found between the cushions and flicked on the screen.

News channel,  _ ITV News at 10 _ to be exact, a reporter stood beside a battered building with police and government vehicles teaming the area. It was as if a world-ending plot was being busted, however, all that the flickering screen displayed was rough officers piling out with an assortment of people in thick handcuffs, devices locked on their ankles. They appeared as harmless men, women, children who would never hurt a fly, but that's not how they were painted in the slightest.

_ “Yet another gathering of mutants has been discovered this evening by officers in the Lechlade area this evening. An estimate of 26 have been taken to the nearest detention centre with a few suspects escaping authorities.” _

Chan and Jeongin had emerged from the bathroom, staring as they watched half beaten people stuffed into what could only be described as military vehicles. The cameras zoomed in on a red-headed boy being dragged out of the building with tear stained cheeks, not resisting the large man dragging him. Woojin felt his stomach churn as he watched from the dining table and saw the location tag in the corner.

“That’s close..”

The other three didn’t remove their gazes from the screen as the woman's voice drabbled more.

_ “A call goes out from the government that if anyone suspects any mutant activity in their area, they are not to approach and call the emergency number immediately. For more information go to-” _

Flicking the channel, Changbin scoffed at her words, “...Mutants huh? They still use that one? Nothing's changed…” he chuckled dryly to which Chan sighed.

“Hasn’t changed? That's pretty tame considering what they called us in the 1500s…” He smiled slightly, though a sour one as he hopped the back of the couch and sat at Changbin’s feet.

“Glad I'm a 1800s baby.”

“Only just, old man.” Jeongin piped up with a giggle.

“Hey, ‘05 is not ‘only just’-”

“I hate to spoil the fun but,” Woojin sighed, carrying his plate to the kitchen. “That was right around the corner. I hate to be the pessimistic one here but-”

“What can we do? There’s nowhere else to go.” Chan stated, hands clasped together as he thought. “The whole world wants us locked up, so I don’t think we can do a whole lot.”

They fell silent at the thought. It was true, not a single country had any acceptance for anyone who wasn’t strictly “human” to their standard, as well as all used a variation of that word. Mutants. The way people used it, it felt like a derogatory term, always uttered with some disgust behind it. The supernatural powers gifted within the world were given no respect to any regard and deemed dangerous to those who were “normal” so they were locked away. It was the law. Granted, some law was stricter than other, countries still opting for execution while most settled with simple imprisonment and waited for them to rot.

“Nothing’s ever gonna change..” Changbin breathed as he heaved himself up to stroll to the fridge. “By the way, did you get any more bags from that blood drive yesterday?” He glanced over to Woojin who just nodded towards the fridge. The fridge door swung open and he let out a small squeak of delight at the sight of three red bags hanging on the inside.

For obvious reasons, human blood was off the table for the majority of their immortal lives which meant the occasional raw animal had to do. However, Woojin managed to get himself a job as a nurse, taking blood for donations. So as of recent years, he supplied his friends with the odd treat.

Changbin took a pouch and skipped back towards his room, wobbling the liquid inside as he went. As if his sour mood vaporised with a blink of an eye, he grinned excitedly to himself at just the faint smell through the plastic.

“And this time, for the love of God, use the damn straw!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also incase no one wants to do math  
> Chan, 494  
> Changbin, 213  
> Jeongin, 96  
> Woojin, 135


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really proof reading these so just a heads up for shitty grammar

Just after dawn was the perfect time of day for Changbin and Jeongin to get some fresh air before hiding away for the rest. The apartment complex they called home had a basketball hoop attached to the west wall, meaning it was perfectly shaded from the morning sun.

Changbin bounced the slightly deflated basketball around him, eyeing the net as he bounced it in a figure of eight between his legs. Jeongin stood in front of him, ready to attack for the ball or block a shot if Changbin were to take it.

They’d been playing for almost an hour, so fatigue began to kick in, which Changbin planned to take full advantage of. He dipped left, followed by a quick sprint to the right in hopes of delaying Jeongins ability to block his shot. Unfortunately for him, the younger appeared the second he took the shot, blocking it at the last minute.

Changbin watched the pathetically inflated ball drop to the ground, giving Jeongin a mock scowl. “I thought we said no powers!”

“I didn't! You're just really bad at fake outs..” Jeongin retorted with a giggle, grabbing the ball from the floor. He threw it to the older, him catching it with ease.

“You so levitated your ass there! There's no way you’re that tall!” Changbin pouted, taking a shot from the chalked out three point line and getting it in.

Jeongin snickered, “no, you're just short!” He passed the ball back to Changbin who just threw it straight at him unexpectedly for the insult. His actions only encouraged more teasing, “You're like Steve Rogers before the serum!”

“I don't understand your references!”

Changbin picked up the now sad excuse for a basketball and hurtled it at the younger again, this time with more force. He cracked a cackling laugh when it hit Jeongin straight in the gut, both now clutching their stomachs for two very different reasons.

During their little battle, they hadn't noticed that a group of kids had gathered, six or seven of them standing around the court. The pair only noticed their presence when a ball hit the back of Changbins head, the unexpected force knocking him off balance a little. He hissed at the pain and turned to see where the hit came from which Jeongin followed.

The group of kids laughed at the pair. Once Jeongin and Changbin got a good look at their faces, they noticed that they were all kids that lived within the building. What looked like the “leader” of the little pint sized gang glared holes at the pair, clearly the one who threw the ball as he picked it up again.

“This is our spot, oldies, get lost!” He yelled, his mini posse backing him up.

Changbin scoffed at the demand, walking forward and bending over to be face to face with the child. “Haven't you heard of sharing? You shouldn't be bossing people around at your size, you don't know who you could be talking to.” he straightened his back, turning to continue to play with Jeongin who was shooting him a look of warning.

Kids being kids, they thought it was a bit of a laugh to continue to provoke the guy who appeared to have a short fuse. They continued to poke fun at both Changbin and Jeongin, throwing their ball at the boys for the second time. This time, rather than hitting either of them, it hit the wall just beside Changbin’s head. Jeongin saw as the rage began to build behind the older's eyes, flashing black for a second before he turned around.

The younger went to grab his friends arm, but was just a second too late as Changbin was already in front of the gang of brats.

“Listen you little shits, you could have just asked us if it was okay to play, but _no,_  you had to—” Changbins snarl of words was cut short when he saw the ball once again come hurtling towards his face. This time however, he was finished with their games. His unnatural reactions caught a hold of the solid basketball, mere inches from his nose.

The kids watched on as he held their ball between his palms, crushing it like a half rotten orange. The air drained from the ball much like the enjoyment from their faces, quite comical in Changbins perspective. He threw the deflated mess to the ground, taking a step towards the group, only this time they took a respective step back.

“Changbin calm down, they're just kids—” Jeongin tried to intervene but to no avail, Changbin only seething a little more. He glanced over his shoulder to see the younger watching with a bored expression, their ball sat on his hip under his arm.

Changbin snickered, “I think they deserve at least something to teach them some manners...” He spoke with a creeping smirk on his face. He turned back to the kids, fangs now on full display. “Besides.. I’m a little peckish, aren't you?” Head cocked to the side and eyeing them all, as if examining them with great care.

To no surprise, all seven were sent running at the sight, some screaming, some crying, all terrified to say the least. In some odd sense, the media’s representation of the more mythical side of the species made messing with people a whole lot easier. For Changbin anyway. He always used to enjoy scaring the living crap out of people but nowadays Woojin and Chan wouldn't let him. Say it's “an endangerment to his wellbeing” or something.

As he revelled in the odd feeling of accomplishment, Changbin gained himself a harsh slap to the arm. He hissed in pain, retracting his teeth and gripping his arm as Jeongin looked at him as if he were an idiot.

“Are you insane?! What the fuck do you think those kids are gonna do now?” The younger rubbed his forehead in frustration. Changbin simply shrugged, grabbing the ball from Jeongin’s hands and dribbling it around him a little.

“They're just a couple of kids,” the older dribbled the ball a little closer to the hoop and took a shot, passing through the net without even touching the backboard. He turned back to look at the younger with a smug expression plastered on his face, “No one is gonna believe them even if they do tell someone.”

Rolling his eyes, Jeongin sighed as he continued playing, deciding that Changbin was probably right. I mean, it's not like it was the first time.

— —

Both worn out and a little sweaty, Jeongin and Changbin made their way back up to their small apartment. The younger swung the door open a little harshly as the pair walked in, sounding a strong thud throughout the room which clearly caught the attention of the pair inside.

“Changbin! Get your ass here right now!” Woojins voice echoed from the inside, clearly not in a good mood. The aforementioned shot his head towards Jeongin whose eyes were equally wide, the younger mouthing a quick ‘run’ before he reached for the door handle only to be stopped still.

Changbin was physically stuck in place, perplexed by his inability to move until he noticed the gold mist that circled his limbs. He began to maneuver into the centre of the main room even though he tried to resist, Jeongin trailing behind while trying to hold back his laughter. The gold swirling around him dropped him beside the dining table and receded to its source; a stern looking Woojin with a more concerned looking Chan sat on the tabletop beside him.

“So…” Chan clasped his hands together, head tilted to the side slightly, “I don't suppose you pair,” he lifted himself off the table to walk over to the slightly disoriented Changbin and their giggling youngest, “Would happen to know why the two kids who live three doors down came back upstairs screaming about the ‘monsters on their basketball court’ earlier would you?”

Jeongins face dropped at that, Changbin however not bothered in the slightest. “They were that scared?” he asked as he sauntered his way to the couch, throwing his feet up on the small coffee table. “Guess i’ve still got it.”

Woojin stepped forward, rubbing his temples as he breathed out a stressed sigh. “You do realise what could happen if you keep doing this don’t you? It's like a serial killer posing for an instagram picture surrounded by dead bodies—”

“You know what instagram is?”

“Not the point Jeongin. What i’m trying to say is that it is, quite literally, putting your life at risk,” Woojin sat down beside the older on the couch, slinging an arm around him.

Jeongin now sat cross legged on the rug with Chan perched on the coffee table behind him. Changbin huffed, half frustrated, half disheartened.

“I know.. It just- ugh!” The agitated boy flung his arms about to demonstrate his anger. “Why do people have to be such fucking assholes! It's not like I asked for this!” He slumped back into his seat, left side of his head half rested on Woojin’s shoulder while Chan gave his leg a quick pat before standing up.

The oldest wandered over to the fridge, grabbing the last bag of blood stored away for the three. Chan gifted it to the riled up male, the latter opening the valve on the tube of the bag without an ounce of hesitation, slurping down its contents. Half the bag was depleted before he stopped for breath, offering the rest to the other two who happily shared out the rest.

“Better?” Woojin asked, a smile breaking out when he noticed the small smudge of red on Changbin's cheek.

The older sighed, “better.” He mumbled as he wiped his face clean.

“Now what happened?” The sorcerer gave Changbin a warm smile to reassure him.

“It’s just..” He trailed, fiddling with his fingers, “you know the supernaturals we saw on TV? The ones in Lechlade?” He asked, looking between both Chan and Woojin for something of agreement. They both nodded and let him continue, “one of the kids, the little redhead… I recognise him from around and it just… Makes me so fucking angry.”

Jeongin piped up, “yeah, I saw him walk by a few times while we were at the hoop over the past week or two…” He frowned at the thought.

Changbin exhaled gently, head tipped back on the back of the sofa cushion. “It just irked me. Those kids were so fucking annoying I just took all my ‘pissed off’ out on them.” Woojin hummed, rubbing his shoulder in a comforting manor.

Mind casting back to the sight on TV Changbin was referencing, Jeongin smiled with a disheartened glint in his eye. “That video has just kind of stuck with me, you know? It's weird to think that someone who looked so normal could get snatched up just like that.” He leaned back against the coffee table as his smile dropped, “Hits a little too close, huh.”

A quiet fell as the two on the sofa hummed in agreement. The silence that fell upon them was broken swiftly by Chan’s attempt to lighten them up.

“Don't think like that, we’re fine! We’ve been here for months now, that's pretty good for us right? Starting to feel like an actual home!” Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Chan gestured to the surroundings of the small apartment they were sat in. Looking at it now, it wasn't the brightest of places. Cramped for the four of them, only two bedrooms with single beds each, it appeared dull with the beige walls they never bothered to decorate and a severe lack of personal decor as a whole. 

Jeongin pulled at some loose threads hanging from the sofa with a small smile growing, “yeah, we’re fine. I mean, we've made it this far.” He hopped to his feet, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket in the middle of the table. He took a bite while sauntering to his room, “I'm gonna grab a towel so I can shower all this sweat off me.”

Woojin chuckled at the youngest, patting Changbin's thigh as he readjusted in his seated position. He tugged at the baggy t shirt that clung to the olders side, “you should probably change too, you two’s basketball clothes need a good wash.” Face screwed up at the clothing, it didn't take too much convincing for the slightly blood stained vampire to follow Jeongin to their room, closing the door behind them.

“He’s gonna get himself in so much trouble one day.”

“Tell me about it.”

Palms dragged down his face, Woojin slumped back, digging his hands into his hoodie pocket. The sudden rise in supernatural and police run-ins along with the new addition of Changbin’s antics was a little stressful to say the least. Over the week, more incidents had been broadcasted since the 'Lechlade situation', all within a worrying proximity.

Chan stayed leant against the dining table, “You’re looking anxious again..” He commented, concerned. The younger nodded subtly. “You want me to go grab something from the corner store for you?” Another disheartened nod.

Taking a few steps towards the door, Chan turned swiftly to catch the youngers wallet that came hurtling towards him surrounded in a cloud of gold. He slipped on a pair of god-knows-who’s shoes and headed for the door. He opened the door with a heavy sigh, however was startled out of his heavy mood when met with a stranger on the other side.

“Uh.. Hello?” Chan questioned to the man presented in front of him, brows furrowed as the stranger’s gaze held strong. He picked up on movement from the main room, Woojin clearly peeking to see their unannounced visitor.

The strange man kept his eyes on the male, reaching into his immaculate suit’s inside pocket which set the vampire on high alert. Chan eyed him warily as he pulled out what looked like some sort of document, along with a leather wallet. Cautious eyes widened as he flipped the wallet open. 

“Agent Max Owens of the Midlands Investigation Services. I am an MI6 trained detective.” He returned the badge to his pocket and presented the document. “I have a warrant to search the premises on suspicion of mutant activity and/or persons in the area as reported by multiple residents of the building.”

Paper re-folded neatly, the detective handed the warrant to a guy Chan had only just noticed was stood beside him. Glancing around now, there were four people total, Owens and three other people who looked as if they were armed with handguns and other gadgets; presumably to subdue any fugitives they could find.

“May we come in?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these really need rewriting yikes  
> also, just bear in mind that the way I portray these characters is definitely not accurate to real life (and I don't just mean the supernatural part, duh)

“Uh, I-I guess so.”

Chan stepped aside as the four government agents filed into their already cramped apartment. As they did, the vampire heard a voice ring in his head.

_“Uh, Chan, who’s at the door?”_

Changbin’s sudden voice startled him but he covered it well. Their vampire trait allowed them to communicate telepathically over short distances thanks to extremely heightened senses, however, didn't use it all that often. The blond watched the detective and his associates warily as they began to search the room, noticing one approaching the younger vampire’s bedroom.

_“You and Jeongin need to get out. Now.”_

_“What? Why? What’s going on?”_

_“Some fucking government dudes are here, just… get out the window or something!”_

Woojin shot him a questioning look from beside Owens, confused by Chan’s change in expressions. The older nudged his head towards the room that the other two were currently scrambling out of, Woojin taking a second but coming to the correct conclusion. He returned his attention to the inspector as he sifted through their kitchen, analysing each cupboard and drawer.

While doing so, a not so subtle thud sounded from the bedroom, alerting all four agents to the door. Owens attention immediately turned to his three companions, directing two fingers in the direction of the sound to which they nodded and proceeded to the room. Chan followed just to make sure the other two had gotten out.

“So…” Woojin leaned against the counter, palms a little sweaty. “You found any yet?” He hoped in making light conversation to lessen the tension and his nerves.

Owens sighed, swinging open the overhead cupboard as the other watched anxiously, “Not yet, it’s quite a difficult task without the permission to use the scanners.” He closed the cupboard soon after to Woojin's relief; His spell book was slotted in snug behind the cookbooks and clutter. The inspector looked him up and down, “You know of any around?”

“If I did, sir, I would have reported it on the instant.” Obviously, he lied through his teeth.

“As you should,” Owens replied, moving out of the kitchen to the living room. Bending over to sift through the stack of papers that were on the coffee table, he continued. “Do you know the family that live a few doors down? Mother of two young boys was the first report, in a frantic state about her kids seeing some mutants that tried to kill them.” At this point Woojin was visibly tense, putting two and two together as he spoke. “The annoying part was that the kids were too frazzled to give any sort of coherent description.”

The on edge brunette sucked in a sharp breath, glad to know they at least don't know who they are looking for. Smoothing out his suit as he did, Owens stood back up to meet eyes with Woojin, presumably gauging his reaction. Luckily for the sorcerer, he could play off the fear in his face as the fear of ‘mutants’ rather than fearing being caught. He muttered a “damn” under his breath before his eyes met the floor, “That's some s-scary stuff.”

The taller man’s intense gaze softened at that, thinking the stutter was of fear of his words. “I don't mean to agitate you, so I apologise. However, these are dangerous individuals so the fear you hold is good.”

Laughter would have been the brunette’s immediate reaction if he didn’t stop himself. _Dangerous? Jeongin literally cried when he stepped on a spider—_

Regardless, he nodded with a small exhale to keep up the act. Owens returned to the task at hand.

Meanwhile, Chan stood awkwardly at the foot of one of the beds, not too sure what to say. The three armed agents swept the room, searching for a source of the thud that occurred moments earlier.

“Are you two the only residents?” One of the men asked to which Chan just nodded. “Then where did that noise come from?” he questioned, holding an item from Changbin’s desk in his hand. Chan took a few seconds to respond which raised an eyebrow.

“You’d be surprised at the racket the rats in the roof make, that’s why the top floor is cheaper.” he chuckled nervously. The well-dressed man just nodded, returning to his search.

The two male agents were rifling through Changbin’s items on the other side of the room while Chan loitered around Jeongin’s side with the female agent who investigated the bedside. The blond watched anxiously as she looked in the side table drawers and around the floor.

 _“Hey! Tell us what's going on!”_ He heard Jeongin’s voice this time, making him jolt slightly which earned a peculiar look from the woman.

_“Shut up, would you? Just keep an ear out for when they—”_

Chan lost all sense when he witnessed the woman lift the mattress on the distressed bed, eyes growing wide and anxiety overflowing. She lifted the top corner to find a still dripping blood bag stuffed underneath, with two clear puncture marks in one corner. Any coherent sentence was lost from his mind as he stood there like a rabbit in headlights, not knowing how this could seem like anything other than exactly what it was: Jeongin’s late night snack.

She nudged the black lock of hair out of her face as she turned to look at Chan with an unreadable expression. Two male agents still busy with Changbin’s junk littered all over the place, she peeked over at them warily before regaining her gaze at the terrified male looming beside her. Chan mentally cursed at everyone and everything. _This is it._ _They’ve got us. There is no way—_

Hesitance showed itself on her face as she slowly and quietly lowered the mattress back down, tucking away the evidence with one eye on her coworkers. Her eyes held strong on a distressed Chan, his fear and sheer confusion evident in his face until he watched her blue eyes flash a deep black for a second.

_She’s one of us_

Even more shock ran through Chan as the woman stood up, giving him the subtlest of nods. He returned one before the woman who literally just saved his life walked toward the centre of the room.

“Clear?” She asked the males who had just finished ruining any organisation Chanbin had to his wardrobe. They both finished up their search and replied with confirmations. Chan sighed in relief as the woman lead the two out, one giving the vampire a once over before leaving.

As the four re-entered the main room, Chan picked up on the conversation Woojin was having with the detective.

“So what sort of things do you look for?” The brunette questioned.

“Anything that links to mutants.” He said with a shrug. “The good ones are finding werewolf fur, those books of mantras and demonic rituals, blood trails are always easy..” Owens finished up his search behind the sofa, dusting off his hands.

“Ok, I think we’re done here. Thank you, gentlemen, for being so compliant.” He reached out to shake Woojin’s hand, the male doing so with a smile. Owens was about to offer the same to the blond when the front door opened to reveal another armed officer. She arrived at the detective’s side to speak.

“Agent Barclay sent me to inform you that the second floor is clear Sir—” The paper she was holding dropped to the floor. Her eyes grew wide, hands beginning to tremble as she outstretched an arm to point directly at Chan, voice wavering.

“T-that's... H-he's... The one in— on the—”

“The what?” Owens questioned, facing her trembling body. She regained enough composure to pull out her tablet, opening up some files to show the detective. Eyes widened in realisation when he saw the screen.

“He’s on the MI6 wanted list! Federal enforcement have been looking for him for years!” Owens shoved the tablet back to her and whipped out a handgun. Aim landed directly on the blond’s forehead as he yelled at the male. “Get on your fucking knees right now!”

Chan stood in shock, staring right down the barrel of his gun. He complied regardless, dropping to his knees as the two men behind him jumped to act swiftly. His shocked gaze landed on Woojin who was frozen in place, not knowing what he should say or do if anything at all. They locked the cuffs around his wrists without mercy, digging in harshly.

 _“Chan I hear yelling, what's going on!”_ Changbins tone sounded as if he was raring for action which Chan had to stop immediately.

 _“Changbin, Jeongin, do not do a fucking thing! Stay where you are and do not intervene! Everything will be a lot easier if you guys aren’t locked away too!”_ he yelled at them urgently as Owens unhitched some sort of ankle lock and was headed for him.

_“Locked away?! Chan- no you can't! We can't just-”_

Their voices disappeared from his mind as the device was sealed around his ankle. It was quickly obvious that the device was designed to obscure supernatural power in order to keep them detained. Panic began to sink in when he realised the two might pull something stupid.

Roughly pulled to his feet, Chan stumbled almost in a trance as he was dragged to the corridor. Any chance to resist was drained by the device on his leg. It felt as though it was weighing him down but in reality, it limited his ability to less than that of the average human, no ounce of strength left.

Horrified to see his friend being hauled out of the room with such force, Woojin couldn't bring himself to say anything. It was as if any sliver of respect for the blond had disintegrated the second they labelled him as anything besides human. A scary sight to see, watching a friends humanity being utterly disregarded.

The brunette watched on in horror as Chan tried to speak, attempting to move his arm to a more comfortable position. Less than a word of his was spoken before Owens pulled out what could only be compared to as a taser, shooting straight into his thigh. Chan let out a pained yell as he was temporarily paralysed by the device and hauled down the hallway.

Before leaving, the agent who was now stuffing his taser back into his pocket, nonchalant as ever, turned to Woojin and handed him a document. The brunette barely moved, still distraught over what he’d just witnessed when the paper was shoved into his hand.

“No action will be taken as of right now, however, do be aware that you will be contacted within the next week for investigation regarding the matter. Thank you for your cooperation.” Owens straightened up his jacket with a smile as he headed for the door, the slam snapping Woojin out of his daze.

Too shocked to process anything, he didn't bother to even look at the document and cast it aside. He was about to go and give Changbin and Jeongin a signal that the coast was clear, however, the light footsteps heard from the bedroom told him they’d heard enough.

“Woojin?” Jeongin said softly, seeing the other visibly shaken. “What… happened to Chan?”

“Funny story see…” Woojin began with a small huff, “turns out he’s on the federal government wanted list… We were almost in the clear until one of them recognised him.” His eyes started to well up, but blinked any tears away before they spilt, “And all I did was stand there like a fucking idiot.”

“Don't think like that,” Jeongin said, hugging him for some comfort, “he told us not to interfere so I'm sure he has some sort of stupid plan.”

Woojin chuckled as they released from their hug, both smiling at the thought. Changbin on the other hand, he couldn't stand still, pacing the floor with anxiety plastered to his face. Jeongin noticed this and tried to give the same comfort to the fidgeting oldest.

“Hey, Changbin, don't get too worked up okay? He’ll be fine.” He reached out to grab Changbin’s arm but was brushed off as the other spun around to face him.

“No! It's all my fucking fault!” He exclaimed, hands pulling at his hair, “if I hadn't been such a fucking idiot, none of this would have happened!” arms fell to his sides as he began pacing again with frustration.

“It's not your fault Changbin,” Woojin chimed in to try and calm the other down, however, he still refused to look either one in the eye. “Jeongin's right, everything will work out.”

“Well, what if it doesn't! What if he’s stuck in there for the rest of his stupid eternal life all because my dumbass couldn’t control my fucking anger—” needing to release this anger that was building, Changbin kicked the table harshly, knocking over the items scattered on top.

Worried for the boy's sanity, Woojin gripped Changbin by either shoulder to stop his pacing and force him to face him. There was panic in the older's eyes, everything illogical in his head which he’d never seen in the male before. “Listen to me,” his voice calm, trying to comfort, “Chan will be okay. There is no blame on you. Not in the slightest. Do you know who we’re talking about here?”

Changbin nodded, still shaken but a little less so than before. Jeongin appeared beside them with a small smile, “everything will work out fine. He knows what he’s doing.” He sat himself down on the sofa with a huff, Changbin following and Woojin finally deciding to give the document he was given a look at.

“Well, he better do it quick else my ass will be in a cell too.” Woojin chuckled as he read the document, it explaining some sort of logistics about his involvement and proof of identity.

Jeongin fluffed up a sofa cushion to rest his head on, “are you kidding? that man has been alive for donkey's years! I'm sure there are some bits ‘n’ bobs in that old noggin that’ll get him out in a jiffy.”

“We have been in this country too damn long,” Changbin mumbled, staring at the younger while trying to hide his amusement. “The chavs have infiltrated your poor mind.”

“What on earth do you mean?” Jeongin held his hand over his chest in mock hurt, “you're off your trolley you are, just waggin’ your chin with all these porkies!” The pair giggled to themselves while Jeongin’s British accent only got worse, “you've lost the plot, you have mate, absolutely barmy!”

Woojin watched from the dining table as the pair continued to battle with equally bad accents, glad that they’d cheered up a little. He knew that their friend would be okay without them, Chan was a tough nut to crack but it didn't stop him worrying.

They'd discussed before what should happen if he was to get caught. The blond had always insisted that if he ever got locked up and didn't make it out within the week, they were to up and go without any interference. To assume the worst and move somewhere far away just incase they could be linked to him. The three agreed at the time, never thinking it would come to it. Now the possibility was in the air however, nobody wanted to breathe a word of it.

You’d think they were all too relaxed for people who’s friend, practically family had just been imprisoned, but they had faith. Had faith in him to return safe and sound. Hopefully unharmed but we're going realistic here. They believed in his ability and that's all they could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> damn I suck at ending chapters huh  
> also, these get longer so that's fun


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting back into writing just before my exams start was a really bad idea but hey, we've got 14 prewritten chaps so we'll see what happens lmao

Dim and dingy lighting hung from the bland grey interior and rusted metal bars of the holding cell as the dangling fixture swung with a squeak. Not even the decency of a chair was gifted within the confines of his cell so Chan lay face up on the floor, utterly motionless. The lack of strength was really taking a toll on his almost five century old body, the device clutching his ankle feeling like it was draining his life along with power.

Cracking open his eyes from the brief nap he’d managed to squeeze in, the fatigued blond noticed a tall figure looming outside the locked metal door. He lifted his head to watch as they pulled open the door, cuffs in hand and strode over to him, giving a not so gentle nudge to the leg with heavy boots.

“Get up, you’re moving downstairs.” now gathering that the man was an officer, Chan stood up slowly, feeling the glare burning into the back of his head.

The officer motioned for Chan to turn around in order to cuff him to which the vampire rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah, I know the drill.” At the remark, the cuffs were tightened just a little more than necessary, metal digging into his hand and causing a small hiss in pain.

After being dragged out of the holding cell, Chan was pushed in the direction of a hallway with a staircase heading down. The light on the outside of the cell was a lot brighter due to the large skylights above, the stumbling male squinting to adjust his eyes as he continued towards the stairs.

Once at the top of the staircase, he glanced over his shoulder at the officer who escorted him there, reluctant to proceed. In return, the bored looking man raised his eyebrows, giving the blond a push down the first step. Each step grew progressively darker, less clean, air a little less fresh. It was clear that the living conditions for the prisoners was not the priority of the building, more built for the sole purpose of making their lives miserable.

He reached the bottom of the staircase, grimacing as he stopped at the sight. The room was essentially a cellar; concrete, cold, somewhat hard to breathe and riddled with a stench of mold. So called ‘cells’ lined one wall stretched down long corridors either side of the bottom of the stairs, a thick barred front and concrete walls made the cells more reminiscent of animal cages.

“Left.” the gruff voice spoke with a harsh shove. Chan stumbled forward, starting his steady pace down the left corridor and studying the assortments of people in each cell, anywhere between one to three people sharing a tiny space. Suddenly their apartment didn’t seem all that small.

Another officer stood beside the opened barred door of a cell, a few from the end of the corridor. He traipsed towards her, assuming that was where he was going, while the male behind him gave his back the odd shove to hurry him up. She swung a set of keys around her finger, dark glare on the occupants of the neighboring cell while she chewed on a splintered toothpick.

She nodded her head to the side to motion for the blond to enter. He stopped just before the door, back to her in order to remove his cuffs as he examined his new abode. Dreary as expected, nothing other than the cold floor to sit on. The only thing occupying the space other than himself was a boy, sat quietly in the corner, knees pulled to his chest.

Chan rubbed his wrists after the woman removed the cuffs from them, giving her and the other a sarcastic smile as they locked the cage like door behind him.

“Play nice.” She mumbled as she gave a last irritated glance before walking away, keyring still swinging around her finger. Chan scoffed at the comment, turning from the bars to his new living space to see a pair of eyes looking his way with both curiosity and anxiousness.

He smiled at the boy, sitting down against the opposite wall. “Hi.”

“Hello.” He spoke softly, voice sounding a little hoarse. Chan tilted his head, curiously as he felt he recognized the boy. His round black framed glasses and red hair rung a bell.

“Wait, are you one of the kids from Lechlade last week?” he questioned, wide eyes when he saw the other nod in confirmation.

“Yeah..” He pulled his knees away from his chest, crossing his legs instead. His clothing was slightly torn and covered with dirt, clearly been down there a while. “I’m Seungmin.” He stretched out a hand.

Chan shook it with a smile, “Chan.” After releasing their handshake, the blond shuffled away from the wall to lay down on the floor. Stretching out, he found that he could touch one wall with his feet while his head stayed pressed against the other. “Damn, can't even lay down straight. What sort of bullshit..” He continued kicking the wall at his feet, as if it would actually do anything.

The red head, Seungmin, let out an amused huff, “yeah.. Not the most spacious place but what can you expect.” He mirrored Chan, heels propped up on the wall since he was a little taller than the blond.

Chan rolled his head to the side, looking down towards the younger. “Spacious? This is a luxury condo compared to Panama.” he chuckled.

“Panama?” Seungmin questioned, sounding surprised. “You’ve been arrested before?”

Chan lay his hand over his stomach, “yeah, a few times. I was all over the place before i met the guys. Panama, Belarus, Slovakia, China, a few times in China actually, Germany,” Seungmin stared at him in disbelief as the list went on. “Oh Mexico was annoying. They got me on the border just as I had escaped Guatemala. Never doing border control again.”

He sat up again, crossing his legs as the redhead stared up at him with wide eyes. Chan cleared his throat, “I take it you haven't then?” Seungmin shook his head no, fiddling with his fingers over his chest. The blond’s brow furrowed, “What's your deal then? If you don't mind me asking..”

Seungmin pulled himself up slightly to be slumped against the wall, shaking his head. “I don't mind, it's not as extensive as yours though.” He giggled.

“Trust me, that's not even the half of it.” The blond grinned.

“Well uh, since you saw on TV, you know that there was a Supernaturals hideout that got busted.” the redhead sighed, recalling the incident. “I was only there a week, was supposed to be there another day before heading back to France. There's a hideout in Lyon I came from a few months ago to meet a woman to teach me more about my power.”

Chan nodded along while he explained, listening with interest, “My parents are probably worried sick, I should have been back a week ago but here I am..” He chuckled dryly, almost bitter, giving Chan a smile. “That's about it.. Not as well travelled as you huh.”

“Well you’re a lot younger.” Chan laughed, patting his leg.

Seungmin tilted his head in question, “How do you know? You look pretty young too.”

The blond lowered his head with a smile, “well for one thing you still have parents kicking around.” He lifted his gaze to meet the curious eyes of the other. The redhead reminded him of Jeongin, probably why he was so relaxed talking to the boy. “That and when you’re approaching your fifth century, not many people can top that.”

Seungmin gasped, “you're what?!” His disbelief was evident with the recoil of his hands to his chest. “Are you an immortal?”

Chan shrugged, “Kinda. Comes with the blood sucking.”

“Vampire?” The younger asked, earning a confirmation nod from Chan. He let out a small ‘wow’ with the grin on his face, a hint to Chan that he is the first of his kind the boy has met.

Their conversation fell silent for a minute or two, giving Chan the opportunity to take in the surroundings properly; mainly just for any ways of escape. Trying to apply the methods of previous escapes proved to be difficult however in these conditions.

Panama; the security of their windows wasn't exactly the best. They may have had iron bars but what with old buildings, cracked walls and said bars were neither set deep in the wall nor very thick, all it took was a good hit with the chair frame he managed to unscrew and hey presto, a bar fell out. Here however, windows weren't even a concept. 

_ That's a no. _

Belarus; sturdy, secure, not easy. The golden ticket however was a lot of free time to roam the yards. Large concrete courtyards were used during the day for prisoners to do as they please, some areas out of view. After smashing his not so durable restrictor with a large rock, the blond used his vampire speed to get thought the entire prison faster than you could say “udachi dogonyayu”. 

_ I'm not seeing any rocks and this thing is a lot more sturdy than the belarusian engineering… _

Mexico; Mexico was his record. It only took two days to break out of the Mexican prison and be off to the other side of the world. Now, that's impressive considering it's high security. This prison surely would be easier though, in the middle of England, seemingly small, suspiciously small.

Chan thought to himself for a little longer before turning his attention back to Seungmin who seemed to be playing with a ring. “So uh.. This place seems kind of small…”

“Oh yeah.” Seungmin said, looking up from his fiddling fingers, “We’re just being held here for the time being, they take a bunch up to Cirencester every friday. We’re going tomorrow.” He explained casually, he seemed oddly informed. Probably listened in on the officers.

Although his explanation was solid, Chan still was confused, “Tomorrow? But it's only Monday…” he counted on his fingers just to make sure he wasn't going insane. “It was definitely Monday when the dude showed up..”

Seungmin looked at him, baffled by the olders words, “You mean like, when you were brought here?” Chan nodded. The redhead continued as if it was common knowledge, “That would make it Thursday. When each of us are brought in, we get held upstairs for three days, something about making sure we aren't ‘contaminated’ or ‘overly aggressive’.” Seungmin air quoted with a screwed up expression. 

Chan sat staring at the other, mouth agape. “You mean.. I had a three day nap?! I thought I just closed my eyes for like a hour!” He exclaimed, smacking himself in the forehead. Seungmin didn't know what to say other than laugh at his revelation, impressed if anything that the older could sleep for that amount of time in one hit. Especially on the cold concrete.

“Wait that means..” Chan trailed, counting more days on his fingers. “I can’t go to Cirencester! I've only got three days left!” his voice quietened to a whisper, “we have to get out of here!”

The redhead glanced out of the bars, checking for any guards. “What do you mean three days?”

Chan groaned, “See, I made my friends promise to abandon me and flee the country if I ever got arrested and wasn't out within the week!” This was the most frantic the blond had been during his whole time in the facility, strange but oddly charming to Seungmin.

“That's very selfless of you—”

“I know I’m a great person in my words but really I’m a selfish motherfucker! I don't wanna be alone again it was so miserable!” He pulled at blond tufts that were now sticking out all over the place. He practically launched himself at the redhead, landing on his knees in front of the startled boy and squishing his face in his palms. “We have to figure a way out of here. Tonight. Please tell me you have any idea?”

Seungmin furrowed his brow, “We? You’d get me out too?” His eyes glimmered at the possibility.

“Well I can’t just leave a kid with a family out there to rot in a jail cell can I?” Chan smiled at the redhead. His grip softened until he remembered his initial question. “Now, do you have any ideas or not?” Palms squished the boys face even more than before.

The younger thought for a moment, before mumbling though smushed up lips, “there is one way I can think of…”


	5. Chapter 5

“You see that guard over there?” Seungmin whispered, pointing a finger at the man. He was half asleep, leaning against the wall with a giant loop of keys hanging from his belt. Chan nodded. “He has keys for each cell, as well as an electrode to release the electromagnetic seal on the restrictors.”

The pair were trying to devise a plan, side by side with faces shoved between the bars in attempt to see further down each corridor.

Chan nodded again, glancing around the area for some sort of inspiration. The only things around were a couple of chairs and buckets, a broom propped against the wall beside the officer. The older furrowed his brow, “Why are there so many buckets?” 

Grimacing, the redhead turned to the other, “They don't give us toilets in here so uh..” Chan paused the other by holding up his hand, not wanting to hear any more. They returned their attention to the male still half asleep, watching as his head kept bobbing back up after nodding off.

Just as the pair were getting bored of the bobble head like male, there came a voice from down the corridor. “Charlie?” The female’s voice sounded oddly familiar to Chan. She approached the man, one hand tapping his shoulder which startled him awake. He mumbled a ‘hi’ as she giggled at him, “the chief said you were tired this morning.”

“Ugh, I am. Sleep is next to non existent at this point.” he lazily waved his hands around as he spoke to her, eyelids only half open. It surprised the two boys how they could speak so casually whilst looking over rows of prisoners, but they were most likely accustomed to it.

She leaned against the wall beside the lethargic male, folding her arms over her chest. This being the first opportunity to see her properly, Chan studied her for less than a second before realizing that it was in fact who he suspected.

The officer from their apartment. The one who covered for him.

As the piece fell into place, she glanced up from the floor, looking ahead to see the redhead and the blond staring right at her. Black hair fell in her eyes as she froze for a moment, locking eyes with Chan for a brief second before her attention was relocated.

“Hey uh.. Do you mind if I run up and get a coffee? I’ll only be a minute..” The male officer pushed himself off the wall, already headed in the direction of the stairs.

“Not at all, take your time!” She responded with a smile to him. Her grin however dropped the second he disappeared, sighing to herself. Her gaze couldn't help but land back on the blond in the cell, his own still locked on her.

Seungmin sat back, averting his eyes from her, “Chan she’s staring, that's not a good thing…” He mumbled, pulling at the other’s shirt from behind. Without looking back, Chan whispered a quick ‘don't worry’ before giving a subtle motion for her to come over. The redhead stayed silent, nervous heart rate increasing however when he watched the woman take quickened steps towards them.

She glanced around warily until Chan spoke, “You— I just wanted to thank you… For what you did for me.” He looked deadly serious, something Seungmin gathered only came in the most extreme of situations. The intensity of his words helped the younger sense the ounce of trust that Chan held in her. Strange.

“No need for thanks, why would i wanna dog you in.. Besides, wasn't much of an impact anyway…” She replied in a whisper, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. Seungmin further grasped the situation, understanding her intent was to help them; she was on their side? The woman was an ally.

Chan shook his head, he felt the opposite to her, she couldn't be thanked enough. Especially if she could do it again. “Well, you’ve done me one solid; would you oppose to another?”

“Look, I read your file. It's one hell of a resume so I know you’re plotting something. Just be careful.” Her hushed voice was stern yet soft, eyes still shifting to either side just incase.

“We will— it's just a matter of getting some leverage.” The blond reassured, hope, almost desperation in his tone.

The officer hesitated for a moment, seemingly contemplating her next decision carefully. “Well, I can't do much but..”

Smile growing on his face, Chan was optimistic that their plan would easily go forth with the help of his ally and what she could help them with. “Can you get us one of those electrode things to get this metal bullshit off my ankle?”

“I'm sorry, I would but,” She trailed, still cautious with her words. “I have an agenda here too you know… I can't risk getting caught like that.” Her words disheartened the blond but he did well not to show it.

“No it's okay, it was a big ask.” A little guilty for asking so much from her, Chan sat back from the bars. Seungmin saw how his hands fell from the bars and into his lap, fiddling as he thought. Judging by what he had told the younger before of his motivations, he was probably running the images of his friends leaving without him. 

Suddenly speaking up from behind, Seungmin formed a plan B. “How about you move one of them chairs over here,” he pointed to a spot beside where she was crouched.

Her brows furrowed but she clearly didn't want to ask questions. “Uh, I mean I guess.” Turning around, she took a couple of jogging paces over to the nearest chair.

Seungmin was also met by the confused look of Chan, “Dude, what help is that?” he asked, voice not as confident as before.

“Trust me.” Seungmin whispered, “it could work.”

“There.” She turned the chair so that its back was against the wall divider of the cell beside and their own. Sudden footsteps from the stairwell startled her from her position, almost jumping back from the cell. She gave one last look as she whispered, “whatever you’re doing i hope it works.” 

“Same to you.” Chan mumbled back quietly. I hope so too, Seungmin couldn't help but think to himself about his not-so unerring plan.

The steps approached, the sluggish officer from before padded his way back to his spot, coffee now in hand. He came to rest against the wall beside the dark haired woman while he sipped away at his coffee. With a few seconds of silence, the woman gave one last glance at the pair in their cell before standing upright.

“I’m gonna head back upstairs, shout if you need anything.” He nodded as she traipsed her way back upstairs, leaving the male and his coffee to watch over their prisoners.

Minutes ticked by as Seungmin watched the man carefully while Chan just sat against the wall, appearing deep in thought. Seungmin couldn't tell what it was the other was feeling, however sensed he could do with talking about it. Everyone could in this place, otherwise you’d quickly go insane.

He shuffled backwards, using his feet to slide him across the floor until his back hit the wall. A small smile reached his lips when the action made Chan chuckle, raising his head to meet eyes with the younger.

“What’s on your mind?” Seungmin said quietly, tilting his head to read Chan's expressions better.

Chan pushed out his lips with a breath escaping, twitching his head to one side briefly, “kinda feel bad y’know? She's helped me out a few times but… Never even asked her name..” He chuckled but it wasn't amused, Seungmin thought there was likely something more. “Stupid I know..”

“I may not have known you long but I can read people like a book.” Seungmin said with a smirk, brows raised as he tried to tease. “Someone's got a crush~”

“Apparently you can't because you could not be more wrong.” Chan laughed, “there's only one for me but that's a story for another day.”

Seungmin looked taken aback, confused on the outside but thankful on the inside that he could bring his cellmate a smile. “Well what is it then? There's some sort of gross mushy feeling in those eyes of yours.” He poked Chans knee beside him, trying to bring back that open book he met an hour or two ago.

Chan sighed, shrugging, “I guess I just miss my friends.. I haven't been without them for the last thirty odd years so four days is.. Weird.” Seungmin could relate in a way, leaving his parents in France was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. “In a way, you remind me of them, especially Jeongin.” He continued, “I guess the thought of them leaving without me is making this whole escape thing a hundred times more stressful.”

Seungmin nodded, throwing an arm around his shoulder in hopes of comfort. “It’ll be fine, we’ll get you out without a hitch.” The pair just sat for a moment, Chan mumbling a ‘thanks’ to the younger.

Before Seungmin could poke around any more, a groaning sigh was heard from across the hall. Both turned their attention to the officer who stood guard as he crumpled his coffee cup and tossed it to a nearby bin. He shook his head, similar to a wet dog, giving a tap to his cheek.

It was clear that he was still fighting his weary body to stay awake, Seungmin grinning deviously at his struggle. The man inspected the stretch of hallway for one reason or another, maybe just for a distraction. 

The only distraction he found however, was a chair. 

A chair situated only a few metres away, so comfortable looking, in all it's fold-out plastic glory. Enticing to say the least. 

He ambled over to the seat, glancing into the cells either side with a sneer. The cell beside the two soon-to-be escape artists clearly cowered away from him, a smug huff indicating so. Seungmin however, held the mans scornful look, earning him a more aggressive approach. “The fuck you lookin’ at, freak.”

Someone’s grouchy, Seungmin thought to himself, giving a huff himself before settling back beside Chan again.

Chan had fallen back into his thoughts again, having slid down the wall and lying similar to a starfish on the floor, with features as blank as a fresh canvas. The redhead eyed the officer in his seat, watching as his eyes began to close again. His head drooped to one side with limbs falling limp, slowly but surely being dragged to the dream realm.

Not wanting to celebrate too early, Seungmin waited to move as much as a single muscle before hearing a snore. Just to make sure it wasn't the older sprawled beside him, Chan received an elbow to the ribs to ensure he wasn't asleep. His groan was good confirmation for the younger, a delighted yet devilish smile meeting his face.

Chan leaned up on his elbow, brow furrowed at the devious boy beside him. Seungmin ignored his look, pointing towards the sleeping officer. “Out like a light.” He muttered to Chan, both satisfied and delighted because my plan worked? Holy shit good job me!

Although initially confused, as Chan heard the snores coming from the officer, he quickly caught on. “You, child, are a fucking genius.” He said, noticing a familiar set of keys dangling from the man’s belt.

Seungmin shot his head to the side, pouting. “I’m not a child—” He attempted to argue as Chan crawled across the floor to the bars.

“Everyone is a child in my eyes, now get over here.” Chan stood up slowly, peering over the sleeping male’s shoulder as a precaution. Assessing that the coast was clear, the older stuck his leg through the bars. He could just about reach the electrode on the loop with one hand, holding it still to not wake the officer. Gently placing the restrictor up to the electrode, it took a few seconds until a quiet series of beeps sounded. The device made a few metallic clicks and scrapes before it loosened.

Chan pulled his leg back inside, unclasping the device around his leg and sliding it off. He looked at Seungmin with sheer glee, his faith restored in their ability to finally get out of there.

“Oh my God it worked!” Seungmin whispered with a bright smile, taking his turn to reach through the bars to unlock his own while Chan nursed his ankle where the device had been latched.

Chan looked up at the boy who had now removed his own restrictor. “What do you mean ‘it worked’? That's what they're for.” he chuckled.

“Yeah, that was a guess. I had no idea what they were. Pretty good guess though huh?” Seungmin shrugged, somewhat proud of himself. 

Chan shook his head with an airy laugh, impressed at both the guess and how similar the boy was to himself. “No wonder we get along so well.”

Both covered the area their restrictors used to be, the freedom from the devices feeling incredibly satisfying. Seungmin took the other from Chan, assessing them as his smile faltered. He glanced up and out of the cell they were still yet to be free of, “So where do we go from here?”

“What do you mean? We get them keys and get out of here.” Chan said as if it were obvious, twisting and turning his once shackled ankle as if to limber it up.

Seungmin took another look at the devices in each of his hands, “But… What about everyone else?” He looked back at Chan, conflict in his eyes. “I feel bad just leaving them here…”

The older couldn't help but smile softly at the boy; he had morals, well developed, pure ones at that. It was nice to see in the younger generations of Supernaturals, usually they were just filled with spite and an ‘every man for themselves’ mentality. I know a couple of youths who could take a page out of his book.

The redhead saw how Chan hesitated before saying anything, clearly debating what their best bets were. He put both restrictors in the olders hands, “I’ll just— get the keys then we can gauge our time span—”

Without checking properly, Seungmin stuck his hand back through the bars. Only this time the keys weren't quite where he expected them to be, instead, they were towering over him, attached to the worn leather belt of a now awake officer. He glared down at the redhead, reaching behind his back. “And what do you think you’re doing?”

Upon noticing the man up and alert, Chan didn't waste a second to shove the devices up his shirt to hide them. Seungmin didn't want to look up, but he had to. When he gave no response, the officer pulled out a stun gun, not hesitating in the slightest to fire it straight at Seungmin’s arm. One in the bicep, one in the shoulder, the pins sent volts upon volts to surge through his body. He lay stunned on the ground with two sets of eyes upon him, a pair clouded with worry and another with a boastful glare.

“That's what you get.” The man spoke with his pompous stance, towering over his trembling frame. Gasps and horrified whispers filled his ears from surrounding prisoners who heard the commotion. 

The officer sauntered away like nothing had happened, abandoning the wires that were still stuck in the boy’s arm. Seungmin opened his eyes after a few seconds of stun to see Chan at his side looking nothing but worried. Pins had quickly been removed from his arm by the older with hands on his forearm and side. “Holy shit are you okay?!” Chan whispered with slight panic.

“I have never felt pain like that in my life.” Seungmin spluttered out, sitting himself up with Chans assistance. He stared blankly at the wires lying on the ground. Suddenly a realization hit him, eyes widening as he looked back at Chan with mirrored worry.

“What? What’s wrong?” Chan questioned.

“I haven't— felt pain like that— in my life.” Seungmin stuttered out, looking down at his palms. He held his hands out toward the floor, twisting it and moving his fingers, movements being progressively more desperate as nothing happened. Chan watched over him as his panicked expression contorted. “I-I don't feel.. Feel anything—”

Gathering that the redhead was trying to use his power, Chan placed a comforting hand on his back, “Wait, Seungmin.. We only just got the restrictors off. It'll take time to regenerate some power.” He spoke in a whisper so the guard wouldn't hear.

“A-Are you sure? I-I’m kinda scared—,”Seungmin looked like he was on the verge of tears; he’d clearly never been without power before besides with a restrictor, likely born a supernatural. “It feels weird.” He continued clenching and unclenching his fingers, feeling the lack of power.

Chan attempted to extend his fangs as a tester, but to no avail. He was almost relieved he couldn't, it would have panicked Seungmin even more. “The tech has gotten a lot stronger since the 50’s.” He muttered to himself though the other heard.

“I’d be concerned if it wasn't.” Seungmin chuckled, calming down now that he was reassured that his power would return.

“No, you'd be free.” Chan countered, chuckling along.

“Yeah, speaking of which, now what? We’ve got no keys and no power.” Seungmin said, palms coming to cup his face.

“Well, I guess we have no choice but to rest up and think of an alternate plan.” Chan shrugged, lying back down with an arm under his head. 

Seungmin followed, curling into a ball a few feet from him. “I suppose so..”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there are any /slashes/ around parts its because i meant to change them to italics but i missed them so theres that
> 
> I’ll edit it at some point

Clatters and scraped filled the entire hallway which awoke the sleeping duo. Confused at first, Seungmin soon realised what was going on, glancing at the clock for the time, nine am. Friday.

Seungmin patted the older on the arm, not realizing he was already awake, “Uh, Chan? They’re gathering people up for Cirencester— If we’re doing something we’re gonna have to do it now. Preferably stealth.”

“What? Right now?” Chan shook his head sharply to wake himself up, seeing the time on the clock also. His face dropped at the sight of officers looming in the corridor with large guns and aggressive attitudes.

“Uh-huh.” Seungmin confirmed, gripping the bars to keep an eye out for guards with quick glances back. Ruffling his shirt, Chan tried to reorganise he skewed clothing when a harsh clatter hit the floor. The noise alerted Seungmin to the blond, now fumbling with the cause of the noise with some urgency. Seungmin’s eyes widened, “hide the restrictors!”

Chan shoved the devices back under his shirt as a temporary solution, “Where? there's nothing in here!” He whispered, guards only a few cells away.

Seungmin scanned the area briefly before pointing, “Up there!” An air vent, diameter of a drain pipe, stuck out of the wall only an inch or two. Chan practically threw himself to the corner of the room, jamming the devices into the vent with great force. The racket it caused was luckily covered by the racket from the hallway, as well as Seungmin’s prompts to get a move on.

“Ok they're gone, now what?” Chan asked, bouncing back over to the bars with some newfound energy. Seungmin rose an eyebrow, noticing his new spring which brought him to a realisation.

“Wait—” The redhead paused, stepping to the side of Chan to aim a palm at the floor. He repeated the actions he’d attempted the night before, hands slowly twisting while his fingers curled ever so gently. Unlike the night before, the concrete at Chans feet cracked the smallest bit at his gestures, the younger now grinning with joy. “My power’s back!”

Chans baffled expression soon matched the other’s delight, “Sweet! Okay in that case…” Chan thought for a moment, “I could turn to my bat form and get through the bars and get keys?” He shrugged, assessing the gap between the bars.

“You can do that?” Seungmin questioned, surprised at the olders proposal.

Chan stared blankly at the other for a moment, “Do you know anything about vampires? Like, at all?”

“I do!” Seungmin cut him off with a small huff, “I just thought that was like.. A myth, like some old folklore or something!”

Chan took a few steps back into the cell, “Well, I can assure you it's not.” Within the blink of an eyes, what was once Chan stood in front of the boy, was now a little brown bat, hovering before him.

Before Seungmin could squeeze in another word, the bat, or Chan, flapped it's tiny wings and was out and off towards the officers scattering the corridor.

Chan swooped over their heads, unnoticed by them all, headed for a set of keys he could see hanging on a hook. Prisoners were lined up to be dragged up the stairs which Chan used as easy cover, the key ring being beside the stairwell. Presumably a few other prisoners had noticed his presence as told by the murmurs that followed his fly by.

Beating his wings as fast as they could possibly go, Chan reached the hook and perched himself on a shelf. One of his tiny bat claws reached for the ring of keys, barely being able to lift the metal off the hook. It was a struggle, but soon enough the jangling metal was slowly hauled across the room by a frantically flapping Chan.

The return journey was a whole lot less quiet than getting there, keys rattling with every wing beat. Seungmin noticed as Chan made his way over that the pair of officers that were about to unlock a nearby cell had become distracted. This was good, it bought them time to get themselves out; that is, until their distraction became evident.

“Hey! Get back here!” One yelled, chasing a flying set of keys. Chan flew in frenetic circles around the corridor, squeaks of agitation heard as he was swatted at. He attempted to make his way back to the cell where Seungmin watched on, only to be hit with what felt like a rubber bullet.

Chan yelped in pain as he hit the floor, gripping his arm as he hissed at the feeling. Only then did he notice that upon impact, he had returned to human form. While trying to nurse his wounded arm, the officer who did a poor job of catching him in the first place, wrenched his arms behind his back. Multiple yells for handcuffs were made in the background, as well as calls for a new restrictor.

Chan struggled in his grasp, refusing to give up as easily as he did last time. “Seungmin—” he called almost desperately for any type of assistance if even possible, the younger looking on with equal distress.

“Shit, uh,” Seungmin mumbled to himself, debating his options. Hands trembled slightly with the option of using his power, deciding it was the only way to help out.

He pressed his palms together before pulling them apart, creating a small vortex of air around his wrists and hands. It whirled faster with his every movement, soon being noticeable to everyone around and strong enough to blow any stray items around. Only just less than a small tornado made its way, under his control, toward the man holding the blond captive. It swirled towards him, offsetting his balance and throwing him, along with a few others, down the hall a ways.

Stormy rumbles and whistling wind drowned out the yells and orders for him to be stopped, almost impossible now to get to him anyway. Seungmin dialled it down, eventually letting the breeze come to a halt once he was sure he’d bought the other some time.

All the commotion had caught the attention of armed officers upstairs, them piling in for some reinforcement. Chan immediately transformed into bat form and was back in the cell within seconds, keys that he managed to scrape a hold of jingling to the floor.

“Okay what the fuck is your power—” he questioned the second he turned back.

Seungmin stared at him, baffled. “Why on earth did you come back in!” He exclaimed, fumbling with the keys that were strewn to the floor.

“So they couldn't—” Chan’s reply was cut off sharply by a loud siren, followed by the crashing and scraping of bars. Red lights flashed as a warning at either end of the corridors before horizontal sets of thick metal barricade shot across the original set. The pair shot their attention to the keyhole in the door, finding it had been sealed over as well, no means of opening.

“Shit, uh—” Chan gripped a hold of the bars to see out as far as possible, noting a considerably over armed group of guards headed their way. They had fully loaded, intimidating looking weaponry with a clear intent to harm, more likely kill their target. “If you’re mystery powers can do anything beneficial here then now would be great!”

Seungmin blinked rapidly, overwhelmed by the speed of the situation; and the intense, fearful setting of it all. “I-I could try.”

The younger wasn't used to such an action packed environment, stunned for a few moments as to figure out what to do. Snapping him out of it, came the line up of assault rifles aimed directly at the pair. He steadied himself in preparation for his next actions.

With a swift twist of the hand, the concrete in front of the line of guards cracked, crumbling as a compact wall of earth separated them from the cell. Muffled bullets unloaded into the structure of dirt as yells to subdue the pair were ordered like military drills. Scrambling to the side of the wall, a man attempted to unload another round of ammo at the pair. Seconds from squeezing the trigger, yet another earth structure shot up through the concrete, smacking the weapon out of his hand and blocking any other points if access.

Chan idled at his side, baffled at the youngers hidden ability. “Holy shit! Should of just left with that.”

Seungmin gave a smile as he turned to face the grim wall behind them. “Stand back..” Chan did so in the snap of the fingers, both curious and afraid of what the younger was going to pull.

Seungmin breathed a deep inhale, twisting both hands this time. He wrenched them with clawed fingers, a low rumble growing louder at every further twist. With a sudden pull toward his chest, the concrete wall shattered as if it were glass before them, followed by a landslide of earth.

A tunnel formed with Seungmin's motions in the dirt, the boy crouching to crawl in. He motioned for Chan to follow, which he did of course, eyes wide at the fact at this small, innocent looking boy just smashed up a concrete wall as if it were a crispy tortilla shell. “How many more surprise abilities are you gonna bust out?”

“That's it— Just the elemental manipulation.” Seungmin replied, breaking into a jog although hunched over to fit through the dark passageway.

“This is by far the most casual prison break I’ve ever been a part of, I have to admit.” Chan chuckled, more to himself as Seungmin created an opening in the ground. The pair scrambled out with speed, quickly dusting themselves off as officers patrolling noticed their presence.

Seungmin spun around a few times, looking for ways of escape from the iron fenced compound that _didn't_ have multiple patrol guards with military grade weaponry. The only exit being the vehicle entrance way, he turned to Chan with a look of concern. To his surprise, the older had a devious smirk on his face.

“Now it's my turn.” He turned to the younger, grabbing one of his arms and his legs, hauling the boy over his shoulders. Seungmin let out a surprised yelp at the action, his strength more than anything being the surprising factor.

The one thing that Chan loved dearly about being a vampire was his incredible means of transport. In this case, not the bat, but his enhanced speed. It proved very useful for escapes, this instance being no exception.

With no word of warning, Chan set off on his way, speeding past the guards as a blur. They sped away, sirens and alarms ringing in the distance.

* * *

 

“Oh my god that was amazing!” Seungmin cheered when he was finally put down. They’d made it as far away as possible, Chan being too tired to continue after a few minutes. Their escape route lead them to a forest area; good cover from anyone trying to look for them.

“Fucking—great teamwork—my friend.” Chan panted out, propped against a tree to regain his breath. He offered a high five to the other which Seungmin gladly accepted.

After letting Chan rest for a few minutes, Seungmin couldn't help but wonder what was to happen next. “So uh, where do we go now? You’re the expert here..”

“In what exactly?” Chan quirked an eyebrow.

Seungmin gestured to his surroundings, “All this! You know.. How to evade authorities after escaping a government run detention facility?”

Chan nodded along, “Oh yeah that.. Right..” He tended to forget that this wasn't exactly common practice for others. Thinking for a moment, only one thing to do came to mind, “I need to go to our place.”

“But isn't that—”

“Exactly where they'd look first? Yes.” Chan knew this. It was an obvious first look for the police but it was all he could think about. Seungmin knew this too, hence his confusion.

“Then why would we—”

“Because I need my friends to even function properly and it will be a whole lot easier to get you to France as efficiently as possible if we had Woojin’s brain to pick.” He wracked his brain for another but it was a logical option to some extent.

Seungmin’s eyes widened at that. “You’d help me get there?” he was surprised the older would even bother since they barely knew each other.

He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Of course, I'm not going to abandon you now. Plus, this hideout of yours sounds like something we could do with for a while.” A gentle smile offered a welcoming feeling to the younger, as though he’d made a new friend.

“That's very true..” Seungmin decided, happy to have the other’s help.

“Well, shall we go?” Chan said, going to grab Seungmin’s arm once again.

The redhead hesitated for a second, feeling slightly less strength behind his grip. “Yeah but… How far is it? I don't want you getting too tired—”

“Nonsense! It’ll take 30 seconds tops.” Chan cut him off and yanked him over his shoulders with just as little trouble.

Seungmin squeaked, “What, How? It's a 20 minute drive from—” Before he could finish his sentence, Chan had began their brief journey to the place he called home.

* * *

 

“Are you sure we can't wait another day?” Changbin whined, kicking his half full suitcase beside the door.

Any personal belongings left in the small apartment had already been jammed into bags, ready to be taken elsewhere. The time they’d been dreading had come around faster than they'd hoped. Leaving the place was inevitable, but not with a man down.

“As much as I'd love to..” Woojin sighed, zipping up the contents of his own case. “Those detectives are gonna come back in a day and get the rest of us if we don't go now.” He stood it up right, pulling up the extendable handle.

Jeongin pushed it back down again, attempting to protest. “But what if Chan—”

“Chan is one hell of a weasel when it comes to escapes so I'm one hundred percent sure that he will be fine.” The sorcerer reassured, levitating a his remaining spell book to his hand. “Granted, we may not see him for a while but.. He'll find us.”

“Weasel?”

“That's not the important part of that Changbin focus on intent.” With the vampire pair being _vocal_ about their reluctance to say the least, Woojin was slowly losing his own cool. He’d kept it together well but his own guilt was eating away his insides.

“Well I _intend_ on waiting for as long as possible for him to _weasel_ his way back here.” Changbin was especially antsy, jaw clenched as he flopped the top of his case shut with little care. His mood was more in the anger scale rather than the sorrow in the other two, its direction a mystery at this point.

“Trust me; if we could, we would.” Hand placed on the youngests shoulder, Woojin turned him slightly to see his eyes glassy.

“Why can't we?” Jeongin's voice cracked the slightest bit.

“Because we just—” Other hand held the boy’s cheek, “listen. You remember when we promised Chan we’d do this? He made us do that because he cares about us.” His heart cracked slightly at the sight of the others eyes about to spill, however held strong for the pair.

“Woojin, we all know that. It's just that it's a lot easier to promise things when they're a far out hypothetical.” Obviously Changbin made a good point, they all agreed thinking it would never come to it, but here they are. “I vote we go bust him out ourselves!” That point however, not such a bright idea.

“Yeah!” Jeongin chimed in, clenched fist raising.

Changbins strode over, about to drag the pair with him, presumably out the door. His attempts failed however as Woojin held his hand still with his magic gently as a warning, seeing him begin to cloud over with his rage. Woojin pinched the bridge of his nose, still holding Jeongin in place. “You two are out of your minds! I know you don't want to—neither do i— Hell, if it was down to me, that door would bust open right now—”

Cut off by a thundering slam and a strong gust of wind, Woojin practically jumped out of his skin. All three looked with wide eyes at the front door almost blown off its hinges and a certain blond perched on the arm of the couch with an unfamiliar face beside him.

“Nobody—is leaving anywhere—without this old sack of bones.” The culprit panted rapidly as he tried to resume a normal breathing rate, a hand on the other for some support.

Completely ignoring the second face to suddenly appear, Jeongin almost squealed at the sight. “Chan!”

Without a word of warning, he jumped at the male, engulfing him in an almost suffocating hug. Small but not unnoticed sniffles were released with Chan returning the embrace.

Woojin stood baffled at the sight, “well how about that..” He mumbled, initially to Changbin however the other was definitely not listening. His bewildered face said it all as he stumbled to join the pair in a hug, stuttering breaths.

“Thank god you're okay—” Changbin managed to splutter out, now gripping the other with a vice hold after Jeongin had released. He stepped back to let Chan have a breather, gesturing to their packed bags, “We almost left..”

“Not gonna lie, I was fucking terrified you would.” Chan squeezed out, the sight of their packed belongings having him a little choked up. Looking up again, his gaze landed behind Changbin, a certain someone scratching his neck awkwardly.

Woojin felt himself tense, only thinking about the last time he’d seen the other. He’d held strong for the benefit of the other two for so long that all his guilt and remorse hit at once. “Chan, I-I feel so guilty for not—”

Chan refused to break, having to cut the other off in order to hold the composure for both of them. He held  open his arms with a tight smile, “Oh shut up and hug me.”

He complied without a second thought, taking part in the third hug in the past five minutes. The reality of the other finally sank in, relief eventually settling over his anxious guilt.

Upon releasing, Woojin glanced over Chan’s shoulder at the stranger standing awkwardly beside them, shuffling his feet. The sorcerer cleared his throat slightly, nodding his head towards the boy as he looked directly at the blond.

Chan gasped briefly, stepping aside to be behind the awkward boy, “Oh uh, guys,” he voiced, holding the boy by his shoulders, “this is Seungmin. You might recognise him from—”

“You were from Lechlade!” Jeongin almost screeched, startling both Seungmin and Chan. “I knew I recognised you— Oh my god I'm so glad you're okay!” He beamed which made the redhead raise his gaze from the floor, suddenly feeling a little shy.

“Thanks.. It was one hell of an experience.” He said, smiling to the young vampire.

Chan chuckled from behind him, “You can also thank him for saving my ass and getting me here.” The others brightened up at that, now knowing the reason behind the boy’s presence.

“Well thank you for your help Seungmin.” Woojin patted his arm, a friendly gesture Seungmin gathered.

“It wasn't all me, Chan's the one who—”

Suddenly, the whirring of sirens echoed through the small town, attention of them all to the sound. Changbin sped over to the window, pausing for a moment to listen again, likely gauging their distance. Eyes widened, “Uh, maybe we should save the chit chat for another time and get on the move,” He voiced, speeding back to their side. “I have a hunch those sirens are for us.” His tone dropped, serious with a little nerve.

Woojin gritted his teeth, “Crap, uh, any suggestions?” he grabbed the smallest of his packed bags, the essentials presumably.

“Lyon?” Chan grabbed Seungmin's forearm, question directed at him more than anyone else.

Seungmin spluttered in a little surprise “Really? It would be a good place!”

“Why there?” Jeongin asked, gripping his own rucksack and throwing it over his shoulder.

Chan briefly explained, “His parents are out there along with a hideout. Win-win.” he gave Seungmin a nod, the others looking okay with the idea.

“How are we gonna get out there though?” Changbin asked, wary glances still darting toward the window as sirens seemed to get closer.

“Oh! In here,” Woojin levitated one of his spell books from the table to his hand. He flicked through it with ease, “there's this portal spell thing that I've never actually tried before but—” He found the correct spell, now letting go of the book for it to stay exactly in its position in the air. Gold mist whirled his hands as he struck his fingers together and aimed his spell at the blank wall. “Now is as good of a time as any to try!”

A few words uttered from the book and a quick circular motion opened a portal, an unstable one given it was his first try, but a portal nonetheless. The four watched on with wide eyes as it seemed to show an alleyway through the other side. There was a little hesitance, even Woojin didn't trust it one hundred percent; its small glitches and sparking edges didn't restore much faith.

As if some encouragement, the sirens whirred louder, blue flashes coming into view and pulling up beside the building. Changbin saw this and suddenly jumped towards it, stepping a foot through. “Fuck it!”

The others exchanged glances as he passed through, wary but shrugging it off when he signalled to follow. Thuds of doors below being barged open hurried their actions, piling through the clutching portal one by one.

Jeongin saw how the redhead looked a little spooked, clearly not used to this type of thing. He grabbed a hold of Seungmin’s wrist with a reassuring mumble and dragged the boy with him through to the other side.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> where they'd logically be speaking a different language just roll with it because my singular language ass is uneducated (with an official Spanish exam tomorrow I'm fucked lmao)

“Holy shit it worked!” Woojin cheered, relief, excitement and proud of himself all in one. The others scanned the area as he closed the portal, a narrow walkway which was luckily vacant. Although narrow, buildings stood tall either side with a sliver of sunlight reaching the ground below.

Signs with the names of their respective stores hung from the walls and none of which were recognisable. “Okay yeah, but where are we?” Chan questioned, directed mainly at Seungmin.

“...Lyon.”

“No— like, what street? We need some indication so Seungmin can figure out where the fuck we’re going.” His gestured to the street at the end of their walkway, more busied with people.

“You know how to get there, right?” Changbin asked, starting to wander towards the main street. He looked back over his shoulder at the boy furrowing his brow.

“I know the area it's in, just not how to get to it from here.” Seungmin replied, following the other, “wherever ‘here’ is..”

The five strolled to the main street, presented with a flurry of people and vehicles, stores and cafes, an abundance of busied business. However, not a sign in sight to indicate a location, the only conclusion Seungmin had to present was that it was not where they needed to be.

“Anybody see a signpost or anything?” He asked, hoping someone could spot one. They kept walking a little way up the pavement in search of some indication to Seungmin until he noticed a café on the corner. The blues of the interior were recognisable to him anywhere, along with the chalkboard outside reading “Café Charmant”.

“Wait- I recognise that cafe!” He galloped across the street, not paying attention to the cars coming and going. It excited him to see the place again, remembering his childhood visits with his parents and their amazing tea cakes.

“Really?— Hey, wait up!” Jeongin yelled from behind, waiting for a car to pass before following the animated redhead with the others.

Seungmin opened the glass door, somewhat recognising the girl behind the counter, she had obviously aged since his last visit but her smile was no doubt familiar. He glanced around the place, a few couples and families scattered around drinking coffees and eating pastries.

He turned to see the four others standing outside, three of which huddled under the awning to escape the sun while Woojin stood shaking his head, enjoying the heat. Giggling to himself slightly, he approached the counter to ask for some directions.

“Excuse me? Hi,” Seungmin got her attention with the broken French he could remember, “can you tell me how to get to uh, Pierre-Bénite?” He asked, surprised at how quickly she could decipher his stumbled words. Just a few months of not speaking a language does more to your fluency than you’d expect. 

She nodded, pointing out of the window, “From here, take a left at the end of the street,” She continued giving directions which the boy just about decoded, finally getting the gist of where they should head.

Thanking her for the help, he left the café soon after and returning to the four waiting outside. “Okay it's not too far, we can walk it.” He informed them, Woojin and Jeongin nodding along.

“We  _ could..”  _ Changbin piped up,  _ “ _ Or we could take a cab?” he pointed at the taxis parked up around the area, a hopeful look at the others.

Woojin rose an eyebrow, “With what money? Because I'm  _ sure _ you picked up your wallet, didn't you?” He gestured to their lack of belongings. Changbin rose a finger, about to make a second point before Woojin stopped him again, “and before you say it, no flying. We’re off the radar here, I'm not about to get us back on it.”

Changbin sighed “Fuck.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, walking it is! Let's go before I fucking melt— Holy shit it's hot.” Chan was almost panting, pulling off his jacket to try and cool off from the beating sun.

“You’re just used to the shitty British weather.” Jeongin snickered at his complaint

“True.”

* * *

 

Twenty minutes and a whole lot of walking later, Seungmin let out an excited yelp. “Oh wait! I know that street!” He turned down a lesser street, ushering the rest to keep up.

“Are we close? My feet hurt.” Changbin complained, wiping a few beads of sweat from his brow. The cobbled pavements didn't make walking it a fun experience, although their light conversation and back and forth joking made the journey feel brief.

“Quit whining and let the child concentrate!” Woojin interjected, tapping the back of Changbins head. Chan chuckled at the pair while Seungmin paused for a second.

“I'm not a child!” He turned to see the pair, walking backwards down the cobbled street.

Changbin giggled at the small pout he sported, “Sure you're not, you look the same age as Jeongin!”

Prepared to rebuttal, Seungmin furrowed his brow, “But isn't he… Like, immortal?” a small smile broke onto his face, thinking he poked a hole in the other’s comment.

Chan piped up, “Well yeah, but he  _ looks _ the age he was when he was bitten.” He gestured to Jeongin who nodded along.

“And that is?” Seungmin questioned.

“Seventeen.”

“I’m not younger than seventeen!” the redhead turned back around, taking a corner down another slim alleyway.

“Still a kid to us.” Changbin chimed back in, the other three nodded along in agreement. 

“Hey, twenty is the age of a responsible adult.” Seungmin continued to defend himself while the vampire trio continued to joke.

“Oh wow, you can actually drink in some countries.”

Woojin tapped Changbin in the head again, “Quit picking on him before I give him one of my rings.” He threatened which seemed to shut the joking up. Jeongin’s eyes widened from beside the redhead.

“You wouldn't dare!” he screeched, huddling to Seungmin’s arm while glaring holes at Woojin.

The sorcerer smiled deviously, “Try me.”

“What ring?” Seungmin queried, just accepting the grip the other kept on his arm. Jeongin held his glare in Woojin while he explained.

“Sometimes when I don't want to put up with their bullshit, I put silver rings on so they have no  _ choice _ but to leave me alone.” He explained with an evil giggle, the three’s reactions amusing, to say the least.

The youngest vampire whined at the thought, “And it's damn right mean!”

Still not used to their ways, Seungmin gave a confused look to the boy beside him, “You guys don't like silver?”

“That shit burns like sticking an arm in a boiling pot of acid.” He heard Chan pipe up from behind them, a hum of agreement from Changbin.

“Ouch.”

“Ouch is right, imagine my pain after being turned and trying to use our nice cutlery.” Changbin chuckled, displaying a long burn scar up his palm.

Both Chan and Changbin continued with their anecdotal encounters with silver items as the walk kept on. The alley they walked began to reach an end, a main street on the other side coming into view.

An eager spring was added to Seungmin's step as a certain sign came into view. It was small, almost unnoticeable; the best way for a supposed hideout.

“That's it!” he squeaked, startling the rest, mid-conversation.

Jeongin let out a relieved sigh, “Do they have food?” he questioned, a hand over his stomach which began to growl. “I’m kinda hungry.”

“We’ll get food later.” Woojin said, his own hunger becoming a little evident. Seungmin turned to them with a wave of the hand, dismissing their comments.

He bubbled with excitement as he spoke, “No, it's fine!  We have an amazing chef. Maxine, she's great, her powers are incredible! She can—”

He opened the door to the place, oddly enough the sign on the front said ‘open’, usually saying ‘closed’ to deter any unwanted passersby from entering uninvited. A jingle of the bell as the door creaked open was also a surprise, they removed the bell on opening the place as a hideout as it was painful to those with heightened senses.

Seungmin's stomach dropped at the sight of the interior; the once lively bar was now only occupied by a couple of strangers sipping on beers. The chalkboard which had an abundance of creative drawings and artwork as he recalled, now a written up menu. There were light fixtures from the ceiling rather than their hovering orbs. Bottles lined behind the bar rather than books of ancient spells and antique trinkets.

Even the bartender was unrecognized by the boy; usually, it was a friend of the chef, not whoever this guy was. Seungmin stood frozen at the door, his eyes darting to find something, anything to recognise.

“What? I-I don't,” he stood addled, unnerved, to say the least.

“Seungmin, what's uh..” Chan appeared beside him, a hand placed on his shoulder which snapped him out of his thoughts. 

“This doesn't look too.. Supernatural-y to me..” Changbin whispered towards the group, earning him another slap from Woojin.

Seungmin’s confused eyes flitted between Chan beside him and the rest of the building, trying to get a grasp on the situation. “W-wait here..” he muttered to the four as he gave Chan a last look before stepping towards the bar.

The bartender gave a welcoming smile, round glasses balanced on his face as he wiped the bar surface with a cloth. Seungmin cleared his throat, “Hi, is the uh, the owner here?”

“I think so, I'll go grab her for you. You got a name I can give her?” The guy had picked up a pint glass, wiping it out with a cloth. He rose an eyebrow, glancing up and down at the boy stood awkwardly at the counter.

“Kim Seungmin.” He replied with an uneasy smile, still distracted by their surroundings.

The man placed the glass down on the counter, cloth half stuffed inside with parts dangling out. “I’ll be right back.” he muttered before strolling off, ducking under a door frame.

Seungmin began to fidget with his fingers, feeling the eyes of the two men sat across the bar judging him to some degree. He stiffened at a figure appearing beside him, but relaxed again when he noticed it was Chan.

“Seungmin, what's the deal?” the older questioned, head tilted to the side to grasp his expression easily. Changbin appeared to the side of Chan, an equally confused yet concerned look. 

The redhead was just as confused as they seemed to be, clearly not overly reassuring to them. “I-I don't know, I hope to god it’s still owned by—”

“Seungmin?” He was cut off by the almost urgent call of his name. His attention was quickly caught by the voice, turning to see a woman practically throw herself over the counter in order to reach him.

A relieved smile grew on his face as she threw herself at him, hugging him and refusing to let go. “Oh my god Dahyun!” the boy squeaked, arms around her neck to return the tight embrace.

She finally let go after a minute or so, fixing his hair that she’d ruffled a few times in her protective and welcoming hold. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” She cupped his face and squished his cheeks like a small child, sighing contently. “We were so worried when you didn't come back in time.”

Seungmin gripped Dahyuns wrists as he pried her hands off his face, “Yeah well, I got in a little trouble but... I had some help.” He glanced back at the four watching them with questionable expressions, smiling sheepishly at her. 

“These are my.. Friends.” he said, a little hesitant since he’d only know three out of the four for a few hours. No one seemed to disagree however, even welcoming the idea with reassuring smiles and nods of confirmation.

Dahyun greeted them all with another welcoming smile and offering handshakes, “Well, nice to meet you all.”

The four introduced themselves and made themselves acquainted with the kind woman. As they did so, Seungmin took another look around, noticing a few strange looks and a lack of familiar faces. Not to mention, he couldn't feel any significant supernatural power at all, aside from Dahyun.

He tugged at her shirt to get her attention again, “So uh, where is everyone? I don't feel any power from anyone..” He mumbled the last part, biting the inside of his cheek.

Dahyun gave him a wary look before leaning in to whisper in the unknowing boy’s ear, “That's because these people are all… People.”

This confused the boy even more, head tilting as if to ask her to elaborate. She didn't however, only widening her eyes for a brief second as if to warn him, however, he still proceeded, “Then where did…”

Before he could finish, Dahyun grabbed a hold of his wrist and dragged him behind her towards the door she had come from. The four with him were gestured to follow; she trusted they were of the supernatural type, she could sense their energy much like Seungmin could sense none.

She closed the door behind them, giving the man behind the bar a sharp nod before doing so. She turned back to the group with a sad sigh, “We got caught. There was a huge bust the day you were meant to come home. So many of us got arrested, although Hyungwon and I managed to keep tabs on a few who got away.” She nodded over her shoulder at the door, the others only assuming that the man behind the bar was who she had referred to.

Seungmin’s mouth went dry, barely being able to speak as he took a nervous step back. “What about Mum and Dad–”

“They're okay, don't worry.” Dahyun waved her hands to try and reassure the boy, “They managed to get away but they uh… Well,” she scratched the back of her head, unsure as to how to phrase her next words.

“They what?” Seungmin asked.

“They handed themselves in.” Dahyun blurted, a mix of sadness and compassion for the redhead in front of her. “They’re planning something, I know they are. One of their ‘inside jobs’ they'd been planning. All they told me was to not let anyone come after them.” Seungmin clearly didn't know what to do with the news, just looking blankly at her. Jeongin placed a hand on his shoulder as an attempt to comfort or calm, dependent on how Seungmin was taking the information. “That was probably implied for you.” She sighed referring to the last part.

Jeongin lowered his hand to the centre of Seungmin’s back, earning his attention. “It's okay, they're um… They'll be okay see?” His words were soft which helped the younger somehow.

Changbin nodded along, “Sounds like they know what they're doing.” He glanced up at Dahyun who confirmed his comment, a small step forward with a nod.

“You know what your Mum is like, she has a plan no matter what.” Her tone held confidence and reassurance, “There's no way they did it without reason.” Seungmin could trust her judgment, she was like an older sibling to him, but he still didn't understand; why would they leave him like that?

He shifted his gaze back up to her, “But... What am I going to do now?” he sounded slightly weakened, but she knew him better than that.

“I think,” she began, fixing his parting once more, “they know you're perfectly capable of fending for yourself. You just went to England by yourself for months! They both have faith in you, which means they can get back to what they're best at.” Her sympathetic smile formed into one of mischievous doings, glancing behind the redhead to the others stood, a sly wiggle of the brow. “Destroying a system from the inside.”

“I guess so..” Seungmin muttered, “but... What do I do?” He still queried, rounded puppy eyes meeting hers for an answer.

She rolled her eyes playfully as she placed her hands in her back pockets. “Well, it looks to me like you’ve made some new friends here.” She nodded towards the four who hummed along in agreement, “If you ask them nicely, I'm sure they’d let you tag along.” The second part however, they couldn't exactly agree with.

“Yeah uh,” Woojin piped up, “the problem with that is that we’re the ones tagging along with Seungmin.” He rubbed the back of his neck, her curious gaze flicking between both the sorcerers.

Seungmin explained, “They needed a place to go so I offered here but… You know..” he chuckled dryly.

Dahyun pulled a hand to her chin, finger tapping over her lips and the tip of her nose. She hummed in thought, “We’ll find you all somewhere I’m sure. It's too risky here, police do routine checks..” She thought out loud as the bartender, Hyungwon, opened the door to look through some boxes of liquor and heard the conversation.

“Have you looked over the tracker? There's a couple of people you may know in there.” he pitched the idea, Dahyun snapping her fingers with a point at him.

“Good idea Hyungwon!” he gave her a sideways nod and a little smirk, chuffed with himself.

Without a second thought, Dahyun strode over to an upward staircase, waving them all to follow. They all quickly made their way upstairs to be met with a snugly decorated room, possibly an office space; but with cute fairy lights and bean bag chairs to accompany the desk.

Behind said desk, was a small device in which she turned on with a swipe over the top. Instantly, a floor to ceiling hologram of the globe filled the space, startling Jeongin as he was stood directly at its core.

“Woah.” they all breathed almost simultaneously, amazed by the glowing blue and green globe. Small red blips were scattered throughout Europe and one or two in different continents, each with a line linked to the centre console.

Dahyun saw the amazement on their faces, pulling up image after image of places and people. “Cool right? Now let's see—” She spun the hologram, tapping through the markers. The three vampires couldn't help themselves but mess with the display, sticking their hands through the beams to cut it off.

Dahyun simply rolled her eyes at the three, giggling at their antics. She flicked the globe a second time, coming to land in southeast Asia, by far the furthest of the markers. “How about you’re sorcerer friend? Lee...” she snapped her fingers a few times, trying to remember his name. When it didn't come to her, she flicked up his image and location. “Here.”

“He made it out?” Seungmin asked, knowing exactly who she was talking about. He was surprised at how far he’d gotten, from what Seungmin could remember, his power couldn't help him like that.

“Sure did.” Dahyun confirmed. She tapped the marker, the hologram zooming in on the location which moved away from the vampires to their dismay.

It was a long shot, but Seungmin thought that just maybe, this friend of his could help them out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to get better at ending these Jesus me work on that


	8. Chapter 8

The six huddled around the flickering blue hologram Dahyun was swiping through, the map zoomed in to the area that was tagged.

“So where is he?” Seungmin asked, curiously watching over her shoulder as she fiddled with the device.

“Looks like Thailand— give me a sec,” with a flick of two fingers, the outlined map suddenly morphed into a flat, satellite view of said country. Red pinpoints scattered the map, one in particular looking different from the rest.

Woojin stood fascinated by the device, “Woah, that's fuckin’ cool.”

“How do you do that?” Chan piped up, still trying to stick his hand through the projected beams.

Dahyun shrugged, “Oh, it's not me, Hyungwon does it.” She focused back on the hologram, zooming in a bit more on a more specific area. “Okay, yeah, Chiang Mai, Thailand.”

Changbin rose an eyebrow in disbelief, “How the fuck did he get all the way out there?” The rest agreed.

Dahyun sighed with a shrug, “You can ask him yourself.” She pulled up a specific location and made a note of it before closing the device.

“Yeah, but how—” Seungmin tried to ask before she ran off down the stairs.

“I’ll be right back.” She called from halfway down.

Chan pressed his hands together, “So uh, what's the plan here?” He directed the question to Seungmin, who half shrugged himself, not much of a plan in mind.

“This guy is a good friend of mine so if he knows of any places we can go, he’d put in a good word for us.” Seungmin thought that was about as much of a plan as they needed. It was true though, if he’d found a secure place to stay, maybe he would know somewhere for them.

Woojin however, was conflicted on what to do, he felt bad for the most part for tagging along where they may not have been necessarily welcome.

“Seungmin— look, we all really appreciate your help but…” He said, hoping he wouldn't offend the other even though it was by no means because of him, “I kinda feel bad. These are your friends, we don't want to—”

“Please, come with me?” Seungmin said abruptly, taking the older by surprise. “When I say he’s a friend of mine, I mean he’s my only friend.” the redhead chuckled, looking hopefully at the rest. “To be fair, he could do with a few as well.”

Woojin thought for a second, slight smile at the youngers eagerness. “As long as it’s not a burden..”

“Not at all!” Seungmin reassured.

Jeongin joined in, clapping like an excited seal, “So we can go? Please, I could really do with some more friends my age..”

“Jeongin, Woojin is closer to your age than Seungmin is.” Chan retorted.

Mock offended, Jeongin placed a hand over his chest, “Hush your mouth, I still feel seventeen so let me be!”

“Okay, so you guys ready?” Dahyun broke their conversation, returning with Hyungwon trailing behind her.

“Ready..?” Changbin asked.

Dahyun gestured to the male behind her, “To go! Hyungwon will set you up a gate to a spot in Chiang Mai.” He nodded along, a device which looked similar to the one which projected the hologram in his palm.

He threw the device to the floor beside them, activating it with a wave of his hand. The device worked similarly to the hologram, only this time what was displayed was a circular glowing gate to another location.

“Two fancy magic portals in one day? Cool!” Jeongin perked up at the sight, taking a step towards it.

Changbin followed, “Fuck it, let's do it.”

Hyungwon placed a hand on Chan's shoulder, chuckling at the other two, “I hear Thailand is beautiful this time of year; the sun's out, lots of markets—”

“Dude, it's hot enough here.” Chan cut him off with his complaints, a not so excited expression taking over his features. 

Hyungwon rose his brow in disbelief, “It's only 18 degrees— well you are in for a treat my friend.” He patted the other’s shoulder before encouraging him forward to which Chan complied.

“I can feel it from here Jesus Christ!” Chan groaned.

“Oh quit whining! Now get through so I can close it, I've got bartending to get back to.” Hyungwon chuckled, glancing over at a nervous looking Seungmin.

Seungmin turned to Dahyun, biting his bottom lip. “Wait— what if they come back?” His nerves were mostly built on when he would next see his parents, rather than what was ahead of them.

“Trust me, Seungmin, if your parents turn up I'll ring you the second they walk through that door.” She hugged him again, reassuring him like she had to when he’d left to England some months ago.

He still wasn't thoroughly convinced, “Are you sure? Like, what if—”

“See this, my boy, is why you  _ should  _ go.” Dahyun spun him on his heels, gently pushing him to Chan, “Go and experience the world before you can't, Y’know?” She grinned widely at the boy, looking at Chan for some reinforcement.

“She has a point..” Changbin chimed in.

Woojin agreed along, “We’ll look out for you, don't worry about it. Just until your parents come back and then everything goes back to normal.” He glanced up to Dahyun who mouthed him a ‘thank you’.

Chan turned to the pair, arm now around Seungmin’s shoulders, “Thank you. For your help.”

“Ah, don't worry about it, always here.” Dahyun waved him off, shooing them through the portal Hyungwon was waiting to close. Before they did, she handed the paper she’d written location details on to Woojin, trusting he would take care of it.

Jeongin and Changbin wasted no time in hopping through, Changbin used to being a test dummy at this point so didn't think much of it. Woojin cautiously stepped through behind, more cautious than before since he wasn't in control this time.

Before stepping through, Seungmin spun to give Dahyun a last wave goodbye “Hope to see you soon!” he called over his shoulder.

“Bye!” Dahyun waved back, a fond smile on her face as he and Chan stepped through. Once they’d passed through, Hyungwon closed the gate, triggering a content sigh from the girl beside him.

“Good luck, kid.”

 

* * *

  
  


“Woah, this place is sick!” Changbin creaked open the door of the old, clearly abandoned building they had ended up in. The five piled out, careful not to draw too much attention since the building wasn't exactly discrete. It towered over the smaller buildings in the area, people swarming the streets at the base.

Woojin scoffed at that, “It's a market Changbin, the only thing different to where we were before is that I can't read anything.” He said, scanning the area of signs and stands covered in characters he couldn't understand.

Both the older vampires crossed the chaotic road in order to reach a stand with various meats laid out on display. “It smells so good!” Changbin exclaimed, using everything in his power to stop him from devouring it all.

The older sorcerer tutted, “Quit drooling over the food, we have someone to find.” he unfolded the paper he’d been handed by the girl before they passed through the gate, reading through what was written.

“Fine..” the pair begrudgingly left the food stand as Woojin began to walk up a hill, following the roadside.

After deciphering the directions, Woojin folded the paper back into his pocket. “Okay so, it says to head up the hill from here, take a left at the top and it should be pretty obvious.”

Seungmin, Jeongin and Woojin strode on ahead, the two hungry vampires trailing behind. Going to strike up a conversation, Woojin noticed a little red stain by the corner of the youngest vampires mouth. 

Stifling a laugh, he asked, “Jeongin, is that blood I see?”

This pricked the ears of a certain pair, Changbin yanking him from between the two up front by the collar. “What! Where did you get it! You didn't share?!” he almost screeched in his face, more desperate than angry. 

Jeongin looked to the side, a little ashamed. “I might have found a rat in that building..”

“Gross.” Seungmin muttered under his breath.

“Lucky.” Chan sighed simultaneously.

 

* * *

 

By the time they reached the top of the hill, all five were just about bored with walking. Another step and they would have collapsed to the floor. They took the left as Dahyuns instructions had stated, less than half a mile in their new direction and they were brought to an abrupt halt.

“Is— is that it?!” Chan exclaimed, pointing to a building—the only building—in front of them.

Presented before them was a stunning, white exterior house with wooden accents and large floor to ceiling windows in both the top and bottom floors. In the setting sun, it held a warm glow with the interior's orange-hued lighting just about illuminating the outside through the frosted glass. An extended balcony ran around the length of the second floor with a view of nothing but green forests in the valley and the faint glow of a faraway town.

The five stood in disbelief; even Seungmin had his jaw dropped, astonished by the beauty, and likely the high cost of a house of this stature.

“Holy shit, you didn't say he was fuckin’ made of cash!” Jeongin said, admiring the posh appearance of the place and its expanse of woodland either side.

“He didn't tell me either.” Seungmin sighed, the unexpected property causing him to be a little nervous. He walked toward the door, a clean stairway leading to it.

Seungmin looked back at the four as he made his way up the stairs, them waiting at the bottom. “I hope this is the right place…” he chuckled, still hesitant to pick up the fancy knocker.

“Fuck it, just knock.” Changbin said from behind, the rest giving him a warning look. Seungmin took a breath, raising his hand to the metal knocker, about to use it. Why was he so nervous? He didn't quite know, maybe it was just the excitement to see his old friend, or scared that this would be a dead end and they’d be left with nowhere to go. Either way, his stomach was churning just a tad.

The knocker hit the door with a little force, no doubt heard from inside. As confirmation, a brief yell was heard from inside, a little hope filling the boy waiting patiently. With a few seconds wait, the door was pulled open to reveal a boy, cooking spoon in hand and widened eyes meeting the redhead.

“Seungmin?”

“Minho!” Seungmin squeaked on seeing the other, giving him no time to breathe before launching into a hug.

Taken aback, Minho chuckled at the other, “Woah, hey, chill! Good to see you too but, what are you even doing here?!” After returning the other’s embrace for a few moments, he pried Seungmin off and gestured for them to follow, “Come in, sit down!”

Although confused by the other fours presence, he beckoned them inside anyway, closing the door after them. The interior was just as grand as the outside, the main room they walked into was a combination of a dining room and living room with a corner for a kitchen area. Shelves full of all sorts of trinkets and bookshelves lined the far wall with a TV at its centre, an L shaped leather couch facing it all. A little ways behind the couch was the large dining table, raised up a step which gave it a grander feeling.

The four followed in, amazed by the extent of the house. A glass chandelier hung above the table, glittering with the dim light. Minho sat himself down at the head of the table, welcoming all five to sit along with him. Seungmin sat to one side of him with Chan to his other. Jeongin sat down beside Seungmin with Woojin opposite, leaving Changbin at the foot.

“I'm so glad you're okay! Dahyun told us everything.” Seungmin said, everything now beginning to sink in.

Minho sighed heavily, “Yeah, it was rough.” He trailed off, now looking around at the strangers around his dining table. “So uh, speaking of ‘us’,”

“Oh, right!” Seungmin tutted at himself, “Minho, this is Chan, Jeongin, Woojin and Changbin.” He introduced the others to each other, gesturing to each as he did.

Minho smiled brightly, still confused however.  “Nice to meet you guys. Now, any reason for the sudden party of five on my doorstep?” He turned back to Seungmin who fiddled awkwardly with his sleeve.

“Well, I was hoping that wherever you were staying was open to a few more but..” He smiled sheepishly, “I was expecting another hideout. Not to barge in on your own place... ” He looked down at his lap, feeling bad for intruding on the other’s space.

“Oh, you're welcome to stay!” Minho rested a hand over Seungmin's hands to stop his fidgeting, “It's just, how come? I know your parents went for that inside scheme or whatever..” He trailed, cautious of how the other felt about it. To his surprise, it didn't bother the younger that much at all.

Seungmin sat up straighter in his chair, nodding towards Chan across from him, “Well, I met these guys out in England when I got arrested—”

“Arrested?!” Minho physically retracted at the statement, sitting back in his chair.

The redhead continued to explain, “Yeah, not the point but Chan helped me get out. Turns out MI6 got on their case and now have nowhere to go so I invited them out to Dahyun's place in Lyon. Clearly, you know what happened there so... They have trackers on you so now we’re here.” The last part seemed to shock Minho even more.

He gasped as he thought about it, “They tracked me? Is it that Hyungwon guy? I knew he was a sneaky one the second he appeared.” He smacked his fist on the table in realization, both Seungmin and Chan chuckled at his action. Chan was about to continue the conversation before hearing a rather loud yelp from across the table.

“Ah, mother fucker—” Jeongin squealed, flapping his hand around in the air, gripping it with heavy pressure.

Woojin rolled his eyes, expecting the worst. “Jeongin I swear to God if you break anything—”

Looking in pain, the younger pointed accusingly at a little metal object on the table, “No, I just didn't realise that the cute ornament thingy is fucking silver!” he cried, continuing to curse under his breath as he gripped his fingertips.

“What?!” Changbin exclaimed with a little relief. “I knew something felt off!” He pointed at Minho across the table, a hand over his chest as if regulating the heart rate he would have had. “Thank god! I thought you were into some dark magic or some shit!”

Minho raised an eyebrow curiously, folding his arms over his chest. “So you guys are vampires or werewolves?” He asked.

“Vampires.” Woojin answered for them, gesturing to all three of them. He watched as Jeongin nursed his burning finger while Changbin laughed at him. “And drama queens but I don't know if they’re related.”

Chan smacked his chest, mock offended. “I'll have you know that I emit the correct amount of drama per situation.” He slumped back in his chair, tight-lipped expression.

“If you say so..”

The six sat for a while longer, chatting and cracking a joke here and there. It was surprising how quickly the four clicked with Minho, only taking their twenty minutes back and forth to feel comfortably acquainted. As the conversation simmered, a squeak of a voice came from the side of the room, the base of the staircase.

“Minho?”

The group turned their attention to the source of the voice, seeing a younger looking boy standing timidly at the stairs. While the others looked confused and curiously, Minho gave the boy a fond smile, waving him over.

“Oh, hey Ji,” His tone was considerably softer than before, “Guys, this is Jisung.” He introduced the shy boy to them all, each greeting him. Although they were all nice and friendly, the boy, Jisung, hid himself behind Minho. “You don't need to hide, they're friends.” Minho grabbed his hand from behind him and pulled him to one side, Jisung now visible in the dim light.

Although they tried not to, the five couldn't help but stare. The boy in front of them was like nothing they’d seen. Jisung didn't appear to be whole, in a way. Parts of him faded in and out, glitching almost, transparent in places while perfectly fine in others. It was hard to miss, his free hand seeming to glitch while the hand in Minho’s appeared without a problem.

Chan decided to break the silence, brow furrowed. “Is he..?”

Minho saw where the other was headed, so cut him off before he could finish. “Anyway, you guys want something to eat? I was just getting us dinner,” He stood up from his chair, strolling toward the kitchen area with Jisung following behind him, still timid.

At the mention of food, all three vampires perked up eagerly along with a growl of Woojin’s stomach. Seungmin giggled at the four, glad they could finally relax. For a moment at least.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is directly dedicated to how fucking adorable Jisung is ok thanks

After a good night's sleep and a full meal the night before, it was fair to say that the group were feeling positively revitalized. Sipping at his coffee, Minho stood leaning over the counter of the kitchen bar, Chan and Seungmin sat in bar stools the opposite side while Jisung practically clung to his side.

Chan chuckled at himself as he told his story, “And this guy blamed me for breaking the camera! Fancy that! It's the first camera in the whole damn world and this fucker was about to brand me as the one who fucked it up.”

Seungmin snickered beside him, taking another bite of the toast Minho had made them. “And how long did it take for you to figure out vampires don't show up on cameras?” Minho joined in on the laughter.

“Oh god,” Chan continued, shaking his head at himself, “Not until I decorated Changbins face while he was asleep, went to capture it in all its glory but nope! Devastated.”

As they were talking, Jisung picked up an orange and began to unpeel it. He managed to get halfway through peeling it when his fingertips started fading out again. Chan noticed as it happened, the boy’s fingers went straight through the fruit, having no effect on the peel. He pouted to himself, about to give up when Chan extended a hand.

Jisung looked up at him with a curious but hesitant expression while Chan just gently smiled back. “Do you want me to peel it for you?” he offered, pointing to the orange.

He looked down at his struggling fingers and semi peeled fruit, accepting Chans offer and placing it in his palm. “Yes please.” He spoke quietly, but not unnoticed by the three. Minho noticed the fading of one of his hands and gently gripped it, rubbing his thumb across his palm.

Chan handed back the fruit which was now peeled and in two halves. Fascinating to the redhead watching on, Minho’s action seemed to have returned the faded fingertips back to normal. However, one thing he had noticed is that no matter what was done, he was always glitching in one place or another. It seemed as though you couldn't remove the fading, only move it away from one part of the body for an amount of time before it circulates again.

Jisung gave Chan a soft ‘thank you’ before popping a segment in his mouth. The three at the bar continued their conversation in the meantime, finishing off their food. 

While eating his orange, Jisung noticed Woojin, Jeongin and Changbin messing around on the couch and watching TV. He watched as Woojin did some spell which opened two portals, one in front of Jeongin and another behind Changbin. They were only small, but intriguing to him nonetheless. Changbin hadn't noticed the opening of the second portal, leading to Jeongin sticking his hand through and slapping the other on the back of the head.

Jisung giggled at the three, Changbin catching his eye when he turned around to see where the hit came from. When he noticed the younger watching them, he gave a smile and a little wave. The action made Jisung a little shy again, attention back to his orange.

“Go and say hi,” Minho leaned over to say in his ear. Jisung gave him a hesitant look, half of him wanting to but also too scared at the same time. Minho pushed him towards them gently, palm at the small of his back, “Some new friends would do you good.”

He complied, walking over to where the three were sat. Minho smiled reassuringly at him and turned back to the two he was chatting with at the bar.

Seungmin placed his cleaned plate down on the counter, “So, how did you meet Jisung? I haven't seen him around the Lyon place before…” His curiosity got the best of him, knowing that his friend wasn’t too into making friends outside of the hideout. It was a surprise to him that Minho had been so relaxed about him showing up out of the blue with four extras.

Minho tapped his fingers on his coffee mug, elbows propped on the counter in front of him. “That's because he turned up like, two weeks after you left.” He explained, “I say turned up, I found him in that alleyway a few streets away, the one outside the pizza place?” Seungmin nodded along, knowing where he meant. His explanation soon lengthened as the pair listened intently.

* * *

 

_Minho strolled down the cobble street, the greasy smell of his favourite pizza restaurant filling the air. It was late evening, only the glow of street lights illuminating the way._

_Hands dug in his pockets as a weak attempt to escape the cold, he picked up his pace a little to hurry home. Home being the hideout he’d come to reside at for the past three years._

_However, his hurried pace slowed to a stop beside a dark alleyway, light beside it flickering. His curious nature was bound to get him into trouble one of these days, what with having no regard for his own safety when something catches his eye. What caught his attention was a presence, a supernatural presence at that; whatever this power belonged to, it wasn't normal per say. The peculiar power source leaked from the darkness, feeling like static._

_He couldn't help his curiosity but to take a few steps closer, feeling the presence stronger. It continued to grow stronger until he reached a small crevice in the wall, hearing the smallest of fearful whimpers._

_He approached the area, until he met eyes with a boy; bundled in a large hoodie, ripped and dirtied jeans, looking terrified. Although this was enough reason to approach, another thing caught his attention. The small boy had faded, transparent and glitching areas covering his body, as if a malfunctioning hologram._

_Minho tilted his head to get a better look, crouching down to be at the others level. “Um, are you okay?” His voice seemed to startle the boy, him trying to shuffle back into the wall frantically. Surprised by his easily scared nature, Minho slowly held out a hand, “No, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you..” assuming the boy was sceptical of his intentions, Minho held out one palm to his side, a light red glow beginning to swirl in his hand._

_The glow allowed him to get a better look at the other, now noticing his gaunt face and dirtied pale brown hair. Regardless, displaying his power seemed to calm the other down, knowing now that they were one in the same in the eyes of laws._

_Hoping he’d earned some sort of trust, he tried again. “What’s your name?” He asked, a friendly approach might encourage the boy to open up. It seemed to work, knees slowly falling away from his chest and sitting up slightly._

_“J-Jisung.” He stammered, clearly still nervous. Rather than towering over the boy in his crouched position, Minho toppled to one side, sitting cross legged on the pavement beside him. Still holding the glowing red in his palm, the now seated male smiled gently at his response._

_“Well, Jisung,” Minho began, the boy perking up slightly at the mention of his name. “What are you doing out so late? You’ll get cold..” Although it was summer, the nights were still as brisk as a winters day. No response came from the younger, only tipping his head forward with a little sadness._

_Seeing that as bad sign, Minho pressed on, “where do you live? I can take you home if you want.” He spoke softly, hoping the other would give him something to work with. Concern rose when the younger lifted his head, eyes welling up but not letting spill and lip quivering. Minho wasn't sure if the quiver was from the cold or because of the tears threatening to flow; he didn't know which would have been better either._

_“This i-is home..” Voice wavered as he squeaked out a response. The answer he received was definitely not the one Minho hoped for, although one he wasn't surprised by. Judging by the state of his clothing and how incredibly thin Jisung was, it was a response Minho half expected but still gave him a sinking feeling._

_Minho reached out with his free hand to Jisungs, the younger retracting at first. With an assuring nod, Jisung allowed him to take his hand which Minho simply held up to the red glowing orb in his palm. He gathered it up and morphed it into a tiny flame, flickering on his hand. It radiated only a small amount of heat but it was better than nothing. “Here, warm up a bit.”_

_After feeling the warmth with one hand, Jisung brought his other hand up to the flame, rubbing them together to generate some more. Minho smiled, “Now tell me,” he began, cupping his second hand beside the first which created just a little more energy. “How come you’re out here all alone?”_

_Jisung shot his gaze up to Minho, looking even more scared than before. Seeing this, Minho shook his head, “Don't wanna tell me? That's okay.” He thought for a moment before speaking up again. “You hungry?”_

_This time Jisungs reaction was a lot more positive, nodding as he leaned forwards a little to gain more heat. Minho chuckled, assuming that would get a better response. “Well if you want,” he began, attention of the younger gained, “you can come with me back to our place?”_

_The idea made Jisung a little anxious, “o-our?” He questioned the others words._

_Minho nodded, “yeah, they call it a hideout.” He smiled to himself, “lots of people, just like us.” That fact made Jisung both curious and even more anxious._

_Lowering his hands and blowing away the flame, Minho hauled himself to his feet. Jisung looked up at him with wide puppy eyes, curiosity getting the better of him. “Can I come?” He asked timidly._

_“Of course,” Minho replied, extending a hand towards the boy to pull him up. Jisung took it, surprising Minho since he would have flinched at that less than ten minutes ago. “Lets get some food in you.”_

_The boy stood up, only an inch and a bit of height difference which came as another surprise considering how small he looked huddled in a corner. Minho kept a hold of his hand, both trying to warm it up and feeling as if he needed protecting. Either way, the pair made their way out of the alley, beginning their journey._

* * *

 

Coffee granules swirled in his mug, “And from there, he stayed with us at Dahyun’s.” Minho looked back up at Chan and Seungmin, both nodding along with his story.

“I’m sure Dahyun loved him.” Seungmin chuckled, reminiscing of when he was a child, images of Dahyun pinching his cheeks and ruffling his hair.

Minho nodded, “yeah, she was the one who figured out how to chill the fading out.” He placed their mugs and plates in the sink, ready to be washed later.

Chan rose a brow, “you mean, it was worse than that?”

“Ohhh yeah,” Minho sighed, “It was bad to the point that you could see right through him. Since he was too scared to talk to anyone but me, I had to get him to show me his power before we could figure out what was going on.”

“What is it?” Seungmin asked, curious to no surprise. Chan nodded along, also wondering what it was.

Minho began washing a few bits and pieces in the sink, “He can teleport.” The two in front of him were visibly shocked, Seungmin letting out a small gasp. “I wish I hadn't though, turns out that him teleporting is the reason for the fading.”

“But wait,” Chan piped up, thinking out loud, “I knew a teleporter once, she didn't do… Well, that.” Chan gestured to the boy, clearly talking about his fading and glitching.

“Really?” Minho asked, eyes wide. “That would explain why no one at the hideout knew what was wrong,” he waved a spoon around as he thought. “It's a shame I don't know much about his past. I just... really wanna help the kid, y’know?”

Seungmin hummed in agreement while Chan still wanted to find out more, “So.. What do you know?”

“Not much,” Minho continued his washing up, a humorless chuckle escaping with a heavy sigh, “It seemed pretty rough, didn't want to upset him. He was alone because his parents were taken when he was thirteen—whatever that would entail—and had literally no one until I found him.”

“Damn…” The pair listening couldn't bring themselves to say much more, just listened to the other continue.

“Believe it or not, he’s actually eighteen.” Minho glanced over to the boy stood with the other three at the couch, “I guess having no one around doesn't give much to go off maturity wise.”

Chan exhaled sharply, “No wonder he was so nervous when we showed up.” It made a lot more sense now why he’d been so uneasy around them. Being without anyone for five years, childhood years at that, was bound to make one unnerved around others.

“You should have seen him in Lyon. Wouldn't speak to anyone but me and Dahyun for a good few weeks.” Minho said, drying off dishes to put away. “Hell, I had a friend here for an afternoon and he wouldn't let go of my hand.”

“Poor lad,” Seungmin muttered, twisting in his chair. They watched as Minho packed away the cutlery and plates, feeling bad that they weren't helping. Both Seungmin and Woojin tried the night before, only for Minho to tell them off since they were guests.

Minho rifled through a few cupboards, then the fridge, huffing to himself at their empty state. “Ah crap, I've got nothing for tonight. I need to pop down to the market.” He said, blowing the hair out of his eyes. 

Seungmin stood up as Minho reached for his jacket, “I’ll come with, Chan?”

Chan leaned his elbow on the counter, chin cupped in his hand, “Woojin will go, he’s good at that.” he jabbed a thumb towards the male sat by the couch. He continued unnecessarily, “Plus, he refuses to let me go food shopping after Changbin and I went to get a snack from the pet store…”

“What the fuck.” Minho muttered under his breath, swinging his jacket over his shoulders.

* * *

 

Jisung plodded over to the couch, standing beside the three messing around there.

“Hey Jisung,” Jeongin said brightly waving him over to sit beside him. Although wary, the younger did so, sitting between the vampires while Woojin sat on the floor. He had his spellbook open, flicking through pages and reading the vast number of spells.

Changbin nudged Woojin's book with his foot, “we’re just messing around with some spells in his fancy wizard book.” He explained, earning a scowl from the male on the rug.

“Quit calling me a ‘wizard’, makes me sound like something out of a dumb movie.” Woojin mumbled, flicking to the next page. He smiled deviously at the first spell he saw, raising his hands in preparation.

Changbin scooted in his seat nervously when he noticed the sorcerer had his aim locked on him. That gold mist began swarming his hands as he began uttering the words written in the book, quickly shooting whatever the spell was at Changbin.

After being hit with the spell, Changbin looked down at his stomach to see a hole straight through his abdomen, seeing the couch on the other side. Oddly enough, it didn't hurt in the slightest, nor affect his well being, it was just kind of… There. Changbin looked horrified however, glancing back up at a smirking Woojin, “Put my stomach back you heathen! This is actually the weirdest thing I've ever felt in my life—”

“Okay okay, just move your hand and—” he waved his hands towards the male, returning him to normal. Changbin let out a deep sigh of relief and shifted his gaze towards the youngest sitting beside him. Jisung looked more horrified than Changbin had been, staring wide eyed at where the hole used to be. He backed up a little, pressing into Jeongins side.

Jeongin placed a hand on the youngers shoulder, “uh, you got anything with a little less of a scarring mental image?” He asked Woojin, seeing him flip further though the book after seeing the boys reaction also.

“On it,” he said, flipping through the pages with the mist still laced between his fingers. The book fell to a page, it looked slightly stained pink in the corner of the browned paper. Woojin tapped his finger on one, “Here we go,” he cleared his throat, reaching for Jisungs hand. “Hold your hand up for me?” Jisung did so, Woojin uncurling his fingers gently and laying his palm out flat.

“Ready?” Woojin smiled up at the boy, Jisung nodding with a curious tilt to his head. With a couple of long words from an unrecognized language, Woojin swirled his hands around the boys palm, fingers doing spirals as they transferred mist to Jisungs hand. The youngest was a little scared at first, leaning his face back and squeezing his eyes shut.

As it swirled Jisungs hand and forearm, it began to form thin, stringed vines wrapping loosely between his fingers and over his arm. Tiny pink flowers sprouted from the vines, offshoots of their own beginning to grow of their own accord. Relieved now that it hadn't hurt him in any way, Jisung opened one eye to peek and gasped at the sight.

His nervous expression dissipated as a grin formed, staring intensely at the miniature garden growing in his palm. He fascinatedly watched the flowers of pink and red as they peppered the vines and small leaves, touching one with his other hand.

Before they got too chaotic, Woojin slowed the spell down, bringing it to recede back to his golden mist once again, returning to his hands. However, he left a single flower with a long stem resting in Jisung’s hand, a small smile taking over his face. 

Jeongin took the stalk between his fingers, reaching up to tuck it into Jisungs hair. As he did so, he noticed a thin chain hanging around the younger’s neck; an intricately designed, metal, broach-like object hanging from it, what looked like a jade gem at the center. Intrigued by the item, Jeongin slid his hand under it, getting a better look. 

“Pretty necklace, what is it?” Jeongin asked, taken aback a little when Jisung removed his hand from it, cradling it in his own.

All three thinking similarly, Changbin leaned forward a little so he could see Jisungs face. “It’s okay, he wasn't going to do anything to it.” He reassured the boy, placing a hand on his knee.

Jisung held it to his chest, “it's.. Special…” He mumbled, looking up to meet eyes with Jeongin who felt a little guilty for being too invasive for the other. Jisung couldn't hold his eyes up for long, falling back to his lap, “Sorry..”

“No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..” Jeongin placed his hand on the others head, ruffling his hair slightly but making sure the flower stayed in place.

Jisung glanced between the three, still fiddling with the necklace, “I got it with Mum… A while ago.” he said sadly, looking at the deep green gem in his hands. Before they could continue, Minho appeared at the other end of the couch, coat on and ready to leave with Seungmin. 

“Seungmin and I are just going to head down to the market,” he looked between the four, happy to see that Jisung was at least talking to them now.

“Oh!” Jeongin piped up, tugging at Woojin's sleeve, “Can we go? I need some quality flesh and you know what you’re looking for.”

“God you guys are gross,” Minho whispered to himself, Seungmin hearing and agreeing with a giggle.

Woojin hummed, “yeah, I'll come along.” He stood up from his kneeling position before turning back to look down at Jeongin, “You're staying here though, Chan looks half asleep and I wouldn't trust Changbin to hold a spoon so..”

Seungmin and Woojin headed for the door, while Minho stayed by the couch, “You’re okay to stay here with these three? I’m sure you could find a board game or something.” He looked at Jisung who just nodded, hopping up to hug him with a bright grin. Minho ran a hand over the others head, noticing the flower that was still wrapped in a strand of hair. “Cute.”

They waved goodbye to the four, ready to brace the busy market place but mostly just praying the house would still be standing when they returned.


	10. Chapter 10

After a twenty minute walk down the ridiculously steep hill, Woojin, Minho and Seungmin finally reached the market, ready to stock up. The market square was huge, running through the whole expanse of the town and including many of its buildings. Stalls upon stalls lined the area, neatly in squares with their produce displayed equally as symmetrical.

“Everything smells amazing!” Seungmin sighed, getting a whiff of the rows of spices on display in wooden bowls and herbs in little bunches.

Minho weaved through the stands, the two following behind, “I know right? This is the best market in the area.” He lead them deeper into the chaos of people and products, evading the intrusive sellers. Woojin chuckled at his statement,  _ best in the area?  _ Probably because it was so huge, it was the  _ only  _ one in the area.

They arrived at a spot which felt like the center of it all, though it was far from it. Food, jewellery, souvenirs, clothing; everything was displayed with pride all in the hustle and bustle. For such a hectic place, Minho seemed incredibly relaxed, probably used to it. 

“How about I make some fries tonight?” he asked the pair, examining some freshly farmed potatoes, or so the seller said; he’d be the judge of that.

Woojin stood beside him, still slightly distracted with the array of goods surrounding them. “Sounds great!”

Seungmin chuckled, watching Minho as he assessed every item he picked up with great care. “It's a good job you know what you're doing because I sure as hell don't.” Minho just grinned at him, bagging up some of the potatoes and paying the vendor.

“You and me both.” Woojin said as he followed on, Minho leading them further.

They stopped at another area, Minho picking up a few more ingredients for whatever recipes he had in mind. Meanwhile, Seungmin snooped through nearby stands, both confused and amazed by some of the items.

“I don't know what this is but it looks sick.” He held a green fruit in his palm, staring at it, fascinated by its scale like exterior. It had a faint smell of banana and vanilla rolled into one, presumably being locked inside by the solid outside.

Woojin weaved his way over to have a look, “Those are cherimoya, they're so good! Grab a couple, they make some dope custard puddings.” Seungmin nodded along, asking the vendor for a couple before they returned to Minho to keep going.

“Thought you didn't know what you're doing?” Minho asked, witnessing his apparent knowledge in the fruit.

Woojin just waved his hand to dismiss him, “I don't. All I've ever had to do is get the ingredients I need and have some idea of what the end product is.” he chuckled, making a gesture with his hands as if performing a spell, “The book does the part that would require skill.”

Minho hummed, “Fair enough.”

They continued walking, Minho and Woojin chatting while Seungmin skipped ahead like an excitable child. He stood on tip toes every once in a while to peek over the heads of the crowd and see what was ahead.

He turned to the pair, pointing to some stalls further down the street, “Oh Woojin! There's meat and stuff over there!” he had to yell to be heard over the ruckus of the crowd. He rushed off, ducking in between people as the other two tried to keep up.

They reached the stands, assortments of butchers tables set out with various meats and produce. Minho turned to the older, a little weirded out by the bulging fish eyes staring back at him.

“How much do they usually eat?” he asked, referring to the vampire trio Woojin was here to buy for.

Woojin rolled his eyes, “Fucking too much.” he gestured to the large birds dangling depressingly by their feet. “They’d polish off a whole ass turkey and still be hungry.”

Seungmin appeared at their side once again, tipping his head towards another stand, “Well they have a couple of chickens over here—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Woojin caught sight of another stand across from the current one and walked over to it. Only a few other people were gathered around, however not interested in what caught his eye.

Behind the man stood at the stand, a respectable sized pig strung up by its hoofs. Judging by the small bags and coals beneath it, the stand was intended to be a spit roast for street food, the man about to light up the coals.

Before he could, Woojin grabbed his attention, “Excuse me, how much for the pig?” he said, ignoring the questionable looks he received, the vendor included. The man quirked an eyebrow, wondering if he heard the other right.

“How much? Like, you want me to cook it or—”

“No, yeah like, the whole thing?” Woojin confirmed, hoping the man would agree to sell it to him. He thought for a moment considering it;  _ it would get rid of everything faster, nothing to clean off the spit… _

After some consideration, the man agreed, coming to a reasonable price for the whole animal. Woojin handed the money over as Minho and Seungmin arrived beside him.

“They’d eat that? Like, I can see Changbin being for it but, Chan just seems so… Civilized..” Seungmin said, shocked. Woojin couldn't help but laugh at his comment.

“Civilized? You ask him about ‘the pet shop incident’ and then see what you think.” Woojin retorted, watching the man behind the stall take the animal down.

“I don't think I want to..” Seungmin cringed, imagining what that would entail.

“What about Jeongin?” Minho asked, similar thoughts to Seungmin.

The oldest just chuckled further. “He's the one who convinced the other two that the row of hamster cages was a buffet.” He said quieter, leaning in beside them so passers-by wouldn't hear.

Struggling a little, the man handed over the animal, saying something about how he didn't have anything to wrap it with to which Woojin shrugged off. A little too nonchalantly, Woojin slung the carcass over his shoulders and continued on, giving the somewhat confused and weirded out seller a thank you.

Just about finished with their shopping trip, they headed out of the manic marketplace. Both Minho and Seungmin picked up a few other things while Woojin simply weaved his way out, trying his best not to bump into anyone with the dead animal draped over his shoulders.

* * *

 

Once out, they began the walk back to Minho’s, starting up the arduous hill.

Without warning, Seungmin let out a pained yelp as someone knocked into him rather forcefully. He managed to keep his balance, unfortunately dropping his bag of goods. He turned to get a look at the stranger. “Dude what the—”

From the brief look Seungmin got, the culprit was shaded of visibility. The hood pulled up and covering their face didn't allow for any viewing before they walked away without a word. Although spooked, Seungmin didn't think too much of it before bending down to pick up the spilled contents of his bag.

“Woah, what's his deal?” Woojin asked, scowling at the back of the mystery persons head.

“Don't know, just a dick.” Seungmin sighed, stuffing his items away. 

Woojin huffed, “Can't escape them wherever you go. Weirdos are weirdos.” He stood watching over as Seungmin picked up the last of his stuff, Minho giving a hand.

Minho quirked his brow at the older, “Says the guy with a whole pig carcass over his shoulders.”

“The children must be fed okay?”

“They're all older than you!” Seungmin exclaimed as he stood back up.

“Jeongin isn't, he’s a child.” Woojin retorted with a laugh, soon losing the grin as he thought, “A.. ninety six year old child..”

Minho stuttered out in surprise, “He's what?! He looks younger than Jisung!”

“I know right? Threw me way off.” Seungmin giggled along.

They continued the walk, chatting about whatever came to mind. Seungmin glanced down at his bag, noticing the bottom was slightly damp. He looked down in the bag, rummaging around until he found a fruit with a large crack in it, a little smushed.

“Aw man, one of the Cherimoya split because of that prick!” Seungmin blurted out, to which the older two chuckled.

“Guess I'm making dessert tonight then.” Minho replied, watching Seungmin chuck the soggy fruit back into the bag.

“I’ll do it, make things easier for you.” Woojin chimed in, already remembering the cooking spell that practically kept him alive. The other opened his mouth to protest but was stopped before he could get out so much as a word. “Ah-ah, none of this ‘you're the guests’ nonsense. I feel bad invading your home and then not doing anything. Final.”

Seungmin giggled at the two as Minho slowly closed his mouth. “Well that told you.”

* * *

 

Finally they arrived back at the doorstep, puffing and panting because of that bitch of a hill. Although out of breath, a somewhat feeling of relief revitalized them at the sight of the house. “Well its still standing, that's always good.” Minho chuckled, twisting the handle open.

“Don't speak too soon.” Woojin muttered from behind, him and Seungmin following in.

To their surprise, it wasn't  _ totally _ chaos, only a little; a pillow or two on the floor and board game pieces strewn through the rug in front of the TV.

Out of nowhere, an excitable Jisung came hurtling towards them, tripping on his own foot and almost falling. Luckily Woojin caught him in time, stopping him from landing flat on his face. “Woah, hey! Careful kiddo you might fall—”

“Sorry!” Jisung panted out, running off again to jump onto the sofa and bury himself in blankets. Just as he did so, Chan came zooming down the stairs at his vampire speeds, leaving a gust of wind to follow as he stopped beside the three who just walked in.

Startled by his sudden appearance, Seungmin let out a surprised squeak while Minho and Woojin greeted with a smile. “What are you guys up to?” Minho chuckled with a grin, walking over to the dining table.

Chan followed the three, taking a bag from Seungmin. “Well, we were gonna play monopoly but Jeongin and Jisung got bored before we got around the board once so,” He paused for breath, panting a little himself. “now we’re playing tag.”

Once again, gusts of wind brushed a few papers off the counter when the two remaining vampires sped down the stairs, stopping across the room from each other to survey. They glanced around the room, ears pricking up as Changbin managed to hear tiny worn out breaths coming from under the sofa blankets.

All watched on as he and Jeongin teamed up on the poor, unsuspecting, hiding boy. Jeongin yanked the blanket off the sofa, revealing a now giggling Jisung with his softly faded hands out ready to try and stop them.

Ignoring the boys pleads, Changbin pounced and grabbed Jisung by the waist as he tried to get away. He wrapped his arms around him, holding him in place as Jeongin tapped him on the head. “Ha! Tag!”

The four at the dining table all watched, laughing at their antics. 

“Changbin? Running? Never thought I'd see the day..” Woojin called, aimed at the male as he let the shrieking Jisung go.

Changbin shot his head over, mouth agape in mock offence, “Okay low blow—”

“Oh crap—!” Jeongin let out as Jisung jumped over the back of the couch, accidentally knocking a lamp on the side table. He sped over and grabbed it before it fell, Jisung not even paying attention as he ran for an unsuspecting Chan. However Chan noticed him last minute, stepping to one side to evade the boy’s tag.

As Chan stepped aside, Jisung ran straight into Minho, knocking him back slightly but managing to balance himself to catch the boy. “Hi!” Jisung squeaked, looking up at the older as he hugged him, Minho returning it briefly with a smile.

Once Jisung had released, running off to try and tag Changbin instead, Minho clasped his hands together. “How hungry are we all? I can cook something up now?” he picked up the multiple bags of food dragging them to the kitchen to unpack into cupboards.

“I could eat.” Woojin agreed, a nod from Seungmin as well.

Realizing what was still slumped over his shoulders, as well as questioning how no one else had noticed yet, Woojin lifted the animal off his shoulders and shoved it into Chans arms. “Hey, look what I got for you fucks, carried it all the way up that hill and not even a thank you?”

This caught all three vampires attentions, not even bothering to acknowledge Woojin at all. Chan went to place the animal on the table before he was stopped by a disgusted yell from the kitchen area.

“Ew— Christ, not on my table! I don't want blood stains in the mahogany!” Minho cried, covering Jisung’s eyes so he wouldn't see their feast.

Millimeters away from sinking his teeth in, Jeongin looked up from their meal. “Bathroom?” he questioned through his extended fangs.

Minho closed his eyes, sighing as he nodded. “Put it in the bath.”

Without hesitation, the three sped off in the blink of an eye, only the faint smell of the animal left behind. Woojin gave a look to Minho as if saying a silent ‘I’m so sorry about them they are so gross’ as he yelled at them from the living room. “You better clean up after yourselves too!”

“Well now that they're out of the way..” Seungmin cringed, not wanting to imagine the scene.

Minho began rustling thought he bags, Jisung peering over his shoulder, “Who wants…” He pulled out a packet of homemade rice noodles, along with some tamarind paste, “Pad Thai?” ~~~~

* * *

 

After preparing their meal, Minho served up four portions sitting at the table to eat. It was nice, the ten minutes of peace the four got before they were bombarded with three disgruntled vampires barging back in.

Chan sat himself next to Woojin at the table while the younger pair threw themselves at the couch. Head propped up on his fists, Seungmin chuckled at his expression.

“What's with that face?” he asked, shoveling more noodles in his mouth. Chan huffed, shifting his head to one hand to let the other fall and draw circles on the table.

“That pig had been dead for a good few days,” He whined, eyes falling shut before he coughed, “I'm gonna fucking  _ vomit— _ ” 

“What difference does it make to you?” Minho asked, chopsticks pinching some noodles of his own.

Jeongin chimed in from his spot on the couch, head popping up over the back. “We might as well drink hose water! All the cells are dead!” he flopped back down again, sickly feeling on his face.

“Shit, sorry guys, we can go down tomorrow and get you each something else okay? Or you could have some, y’know, normal food?” Seungmin suggested, just praying that Chan wouldn't actually throw up right next to him.

The pair on the couch groaned.

Minho patted the side of his mouth with a napkin, “They have really good lamb this time of year apparently,” he called over to Changbin and Jeongin to hear, “You can have a nice sheep each.”

They both groaned again, from both impatience and hunger. Woojin chuckled at all three, nudging Chan with his elbow. “Come on… Can't you hang in there one more day?” Chan glared at him as if he was talking of something inhumane, “We’ve only been on the move for like, two weeks. You've gone longer on normal food.”

Chan sat up, counting up on his fingers, “I was locked up for four extra days, I didn't eat that morning, making it five—” he added the weeks Woojin mentioned, gasp escaping his lips, “that's nineteen days! I'm losing my mind!” he rolled back onto the table, cheek smushed against the wood.

“Get what I mean about drama queens?” the sorcerer sighed, turning to Minho and Seungmin, “they get cranky on empty stomachs.”

“I’ll show you drama queen—” Changbin popped up over the back of the couch, ready to throw hands.

Suddenly, a gentle pulse of energy rippled through the room; it's source being the empty chair Jisung once sat in.

“Uh… Where did Jisung go.?” Jeongin asked as he popped up from the couch at feeling the pulse.

Minho shot his head to the side, “What—” he dropped his chopsticks at the sight of the unoccupied chair beside him. “Jisung!” he almost screeched, whipping his head around frantically in hopes that the boy was still in the room.

“Did he just—” Changbin started, pointing at the seat.

“I think so…” Seungmin replied in a mumble now stood up from his chair.

Minho didn't really know what to do with himself, “I fucking told him— he knows he shouldn't be—” he stammered, looking up at the others who were all either confused or concerned.

He sat frozen for a few moments until the pulse rippled back though the room, the reverse direction from the last. It sucked back to the chair, or rather beside the chair, Jisung reappearing at its center.

“Here.” He turned to Changbin without another word, holding three  _ live _ chickens. All eyes in the room were wide, staring at the boy as he shoved one of three into Changbins arms, another to Chan and the last to Jeongin.

Chan held the bird in his hands, licking his lips, “Where did…”

“I used to live in this barn.. It had loads of animals.” Jisung responded, rubbing his glitching arm.

Changbin was about to question further, “I mean, thank you but—”

Minho grabbed the fading boy, holding his palms on either side of his face. “Jisung, I swear to God. At least tell me!” he said, pulling the younger in for a hug. 

“I’m sorry..” Jisung mumbled out, muffled since he was shoved into Minho's chest. 

The older let him go, still holding him by his arms, “No no, it's okay, as long as your fine..”

The others were still somewhat concerned looking at the boy, watching as Minho checked over him while the younger continued to reassure he was fine. Jeongin decided to voice everyone's concern, walking over from his spot on the couch with his chicken under his arm. “Is it me, or is he like… More transparent than before…”

He was right, the teleporting boy had  gained considerably more transparency in places, whole limbs appearing as if malfunctioning holograms. Jisung let out a sheepish giggle at them all, turning around in Minho's hold, “Yeah.. The more things i teleport with, the more energy it takes up. Hence the whole…” he gestured to a part of his arm that was glitching, waving his finger though it, “This.”

“Which is why we don't do it unannounced because it scares Minho but we did it anyway because we’re a reckless little demon.” Minho interjected, Seungmin snickering to himself at the older sounding like an overprotective mother.

Jisung jabbed a finger at the others arm, “I’m—” he paused to let out a large yawn, earning a raised eyebrow look from Minho, “fine. Just need a nap.” he said tiredly, wiggling out of Minho's grip and making grabby hands at his dish on the table, “and my noodles.”

Woojin passed him the bowl and his chopsticks, smiling at the weary boy as he stumbled off to the stairs with a quick muttered ‘thanks’.

“Thanks Jisung!” Changbin called after him, both Chan and Jeongin repeating with equal enthusiasm.

“Goodnight..” he mumbled although early evening, rubbing his eyes on his way up the stairs. Minho sat back down, the three vampires still stood with their gifts from the tired boy. 

“Is he gonna be okay?” Chan asked, a little worried still.

Minho picked up his chopsticks again, just staring at his food rather than digging in straight away, “Yeah, he should be. He’ll just sleep though until tomorrow night and eat everything we own when he wakes up.” he spoke wearily, as if a little stressed.

“That's how his power regenerates?” Seungmin asked, genuinely interested since he’d never experienced power loss to the extent he needed to actively rest up.

“I guess so,” Minho hummed, prepping a scoop of noodles and thinking out loud, “Probably a growing thing too.. He’s so tiny.”

“True..” Chan agreed, eyeing the bird in front of him and hearing his stomach growl. His fangs extended in a second, about to take the first bite before Woojin intercepted.

“Hey— No! Back to the bathroom!” he yelled, turning to the other two as well to point them back to the bathroom. He slapped Chan on the arm as he tried again to take a sneaky bite, causing him to groan and get up from his seat.

“Fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A) I'd like to apologise if anything is significantly culturally or geographically incorrect. I'm a simple British child with only google for reference.  
> B) is anyone even getting this far lmao  
> C) I posted a minsung oneshot if anyone cares, its a lot better written than this in my opinion since it was written more recently


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a heads up: updates are gonna slow down because I've almost run out of prewritten chapters lol

Sprawled on the couch, Seungmin and Woojin surfed the TV channels while Jeongin lay similar to a starfish on the floor, Jisung sat cross-legged beside him. After they'd had their evening meal, Chan and Changbin decided they wanted to go hunting for something live, still complaining that they were hungry even after their poultry a few days prior.  


Jeongin groaned, laying on his back staring up at the TV which kept changing channels. “Why is there nothing to watch?” He asked, flinging a hand back to tap Woojins leg, him being the one mindlessly flicking the channels.

“Because it's all in Thai.” Seungmin snickered, upside down with legs over the back of the sofa. Seungmin reached out to tickle Jisung’s side since the boy was trying and failing miserably to do the same to Jeongin. He squirmed at the action, the lounging vampire and upside down redhead smirking in satisfaction.

Woojin chuckled at the youngsters and their antics, continuing to flick through channel after channel. “Literally the only thing I can put subtitles on is the news so…” He stopped on some channel that no one could read the name of, flicking on subtitles.

“Fuck it— let's see what horrific drama is taking place across the globe today.” Jeongin flailed his hands, grabbing Jisung and wrestling him to the floor to stop his persistent attempts at tickling him. The younger simply giggled, but his attempts ceased.  


A few stories cycled through, some local news then progressing to the global ones. They were all pretty bland, exactly what you’d expect; until one peaked their attention in particular.

A reporter stood outside an apartment building, taped up and boarded every window. Men and women in suits and police getup swarmed the building with mild chaos, busied with whatever needed doing.

Woojin and Jeongin jolted up, eyes wide and glued to the screen. “Oh…” Woojin breathed, a sinking feeling as he recognized the front door. Seungmin quirked a brow, knowing he’d seen it somewhere and judging by the other two’s reaction, his suspicions were confirmed.

“Turn it up—” Jeongin ordered, Woojin already on it. He cranked it up, the same reporter from when they saw Seungmin all those weeks ago.

_ “Officials believe that these highly dangerous individuals have accomplices who are unidentified, also evading police and specialised forces. Investigations are underway at the property and have lead detectives to believe that there are five in total; with a large likelihood they have fled the country—” _

Woojin huffed, “Damn, they're good.” Her words only confirmed further that they were the subject of the story, their old home becoming a crime scene.

More scenes played, prerecorded, showing their apartment being ransacked; belongings were strewn about and some confiscated for evidence. 

It flicked to images of Jeongin and Changbins room, evidence of their midnight feasts being displayed, depicting them as savages.

“Well, I found Changbins wallet.” Jeongin chuckled though with little amusement, trying to lift the mood even by a little.

Woojin paused the screen, hand running through his hair as the sight sunk in. Only a little more than a month ago, the four sat happy as ever, feeling perfectly safe. Now they were thousands of miles away, watching the place being ripped apart with global warrants for their arrest.

With a loud slam of the door swinging open, all heads turned to the door to see Chan and Changbin strut in, clearly impressed with themselves. “What's up fuckers, guess who caught a fresh snack!”

Jeongin perked up at that, jumping up from the floor which startled Jisung beside him, “Oh hell yeah—”

Just as he was rushing over, a damp-haired Minho, clearly just come from his shower, emerged into the room. His eyes fell on the two at the door, freezing for a second when he noticed the small animal under Chan's arm.

“Is that a—” He hurried over, snatching the fluffy ginger creature from under his arm. Of course, the animal was terrified, Minho cradling it protectively in his arms. “Oh I think not, cats are friends, not food.”

Chan’s proud expression fell to one of disappointment, trying to protest. Changbin however, held his hands up in disbelief, “Alright sorry  _ Bruce _ ,” he scoffed, chuckling faintly at his own joke.

“Oh I see, you can make a damn  _ Finding Nemo  _ joke but not know who Steve Rogers is?” Jeongin quipped, gaining himself a comedic glare from the brunette it was directed at.

“Hey! But—” Chan finally found the voice to interject with the stealer of their snack but was briskly cut off again.

“Nope don't care, no eating cats.” Minho walked away with the startled animal, sitting on the floor beside Jisung and in front of Woojin, all three petting the cat. It seemed friendly, purring away at their affection.

Jeongin returned to his spot, whining as he lay back down. “But I’m hungry—”

“You had chickens the other day, you can wait another.” Woojin patted the boys head, the vampire scowling up at him.

“Oh, I can get you more!” Jisung piped up, preparing himself to teleport while ignoring the petrified glare from Minho. 

Seungmin held his shoulder with a wary glance, “Don't you dare child for I think Minho might have a breakdown.”

Jisung finally acknowledged both the stern and cautious look on the mentions face and so decided against it. He sat back with a small huff, leaning his head on Minho's shoulder while petting the cat in his lap. The two vampires came to join the TV watching, Chan slumping down between an upside down Seungmin and a slightly saddened Woojin. Minho saw the glare Changbin was burning into the cat on his lap, whispering into its pricked ear, “Don't you worry little guy, I won't let them eat you.”

Once they'd all settled down again, Chan tensed slightly at the sight of the TV, “Is— is that our apartment?”

“Yeah…” Woojin mumbled, hitting play to let the now present three witness the scenes. More images of the place they called home flashed up, kitchen and the living room turned upside down, the door smashed down likely from when officers invaded the day they left.

“That's your place?!” Minho asked, taken aback by what he saw. Changbin hummed, the other three too disheartened to speak. At the confirmation, the younger spoke up again, “Okay new rule, you guys aren't going anywhere.”

“But—” Woojin started, only to be met with Minho’s stubborn gaze.

“Nope! You can all help cook, clean, wash up and everything else because you are no longer guests.” He sat back, arms crossed over his chest reflecting his attitude. 

Seungmin spun around, stretching out stomach down over Chan's lap, semi leaning on Woojin also. “Are you sure? I mean, that's kind of abrupt?” he said, face practically in the side of Minho’s head.

The male on the floor turned his head to see the three behind him, setting his point clear. He spoke quietly and kept movement to a minimum as to not disturb the boy nodding off on his arm. “If they are  _ that _ desperate to get a hold of you, then I think it's best if you stay. Every hideout I know of has been ripped to shreds…”

Woojin let a small smile slip, trying to forget about their past situation. “I guess… This is us then. Thank you.”

The younger turned back to face the TV sporting a content smile, “I'm glad you want to stay,” he replied. Glancing down, he noticed Jisung on his way to being asleep on him and patted him gently with one hand, other still on the purring cat. “Besides, Jisung seems to love you guys so if you left now, I wouldn't hear the end of it.”

Jisung opened his eyes at his name, raising his head briefly with a nod and the brightest smile he could muster. “Hell yeah kiddo, put it there,” Changbin said, fist out to bump with Jisung’s. He did so, a giggle following it as he rested back on Minho. 

For the next twenty minutes, they sat scattered around the couch and rug, passively listening to news reporters ramble on. Story after story droned on, getting darker and darker by the second. Not a single positive note later, they'd just about had enough.

“This is so depressing— who wants to see the new spell I learnt?” Woojin clapped his hands together, gaining everyone's interest. 

“Me!” Seungmin shot up from his position across Chan, following Woojin to the floor. Chan didn't bother to move, the free space beside him enticing Jeongin to join him on the couch while the rest made a circle on the floor.

Woojin pointed to a spot a little further from the rest of the group gathered, “Changbin, sit there.”

Although wary, Changbin did it anyway. “Okay…”

Woojin struck his fingers together, activating the gold swirls while he stretched his arms out. He didn't bother to flick through his book since he’d now learnt a fair few off by heart, the fun and useful ones anyway.

Aiming at the confused male across the circle, the sorcerer uttered the words of the spell with some fervour. In an instant, a beam of his golden energy shot towards the other and circled him completely. Once every inch of his body was tightly covered, it dispersed outwards, crystallizing into a clear, perfectly spherical ball.

The others watched in awe, chuckling as Changbin began hitting the casing from the inside, positively trapped by its solid structure. Seungmin tapped the bubble, noting how it was similar to that of glass; three inches thick, heavily reinforced, bulletproof glass.

Changbin attempted to punch through it with all his might, only to have to nurse his fist when it produced not even a crack. He turned to his bat form, attempting to smack it a few times before turning back, giving up. “Okay what the fuck!” he yelled from inside, barely audible from outside.

Woojin laughed at the male, raising his voice a little so Changbin could hear, “It's an encasing spell, made to restrain whoever or whatever necessary.”

Seungmin looked incredibly intrigued, gesturing to the two sat on the sofa, “Oh my god can we use that more often on all three of them?” His comment was unheard by Changbin but earned a clip to the head from Chan.

“Let me out!” The vampire screeched from inside his glass enclosure, now trying to kick his way out. Woojin rolled his eyes, revving up to do so.

With a wave of the hand and what was presumably the reverse spell, the glass like casing popped as if it were a bubble the whole time. No shards were left behind, only the vapour of the sorcerer's craft. Everyone sat around, waiting eagerly for another display, excited to see as Woojin began swirling the mist once again. “I got this one too—”

“Nope! Jeongin's turn!” Changbin blurted while ducking out of the way, the mentioned snapped his head toward him in surprise.

“What?!” Jeongin squeaked, grabbing Chan as a shield. 

“Chill, this is a nice one.” Woojin readied himself again, laughing at the still hiding young vampire. “No test dummies required.” he reassured.

All eyes watched intently as the spell was spoken, words acting as a catalyst for the actions. He began collecting the golden whirls in his palms, stringing it together like candy floss on a stick. As it collected, it compacted tightly, becoming denser by the second.

Once collected tightly, Woojin pressed his palms together briefly and pulled them back out again. This final action turned the spherical mist into a glowing orb hovering over his hand. Extending his arm, he grabbed Seungmin’s hand with his free one, flattening his palm and shifted the orb to the redhead.

“Woah!” Jisung squeaked at the orb, it shining brightly from where it was held. 

“Can I poke it?” Jeongin asked to which Woojin raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“I dunno, I wanna poke it.” he answered, looking eagerly.

Woojin sighed, “I mean, sure.” Jeongin leaned over to Seungmin and poked the orb, causing it to ripple to a small degree. Somewhere in both of their simple minds found it entertaining, Jeongin repeating the action a few times as the pair giggled between them.

After they’d had their sliver of fun, Seungmin passed the orb back to Woojin, him letting it die down and gathering back his power.

Once he had done so, Chan piped up, tapping the younger in front of him, “Yo Minho, we haven't even seen what you can do!”

“Yeah! Show them your thing!” Seungmin chimed in, realizing that he and presumably Jisung were the only ones to have actually seen his ability to any further extent.

With a shrug, Minho carefully sat Jisung upright so he could also, holding one hand out to the side. As he did, a small red glow whirled around his hand like a light drift of low fog.

Woojin cocked his head, a smile present at the sight. “Oh, sorcery too?”

“Sort of. Kind of a... Manipulation of reality type thing. Illuions, mind meddling. that getup.” Minho explained, allowing the dark red to intensify. He stared at it for a moment, wondering what he should do until Jisung popped up beside him.

“Oh!” he chirped before leaning in and whispering something in the older's ear, a wide grin plastering his face. Minho nodded to him, exciting the boy more as he wiggled around and lay down on the rug.  


As Jisung did so, he beckoned for the others to copy, jittery waves of excitement seeming infectious while he wiggled around to get comfy. Minho lay back beside him while Seungmin and Changbin followed suit, heads meeting in the middle by the other pair.

Both Chan and Jeongin sprawled back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling while Woojin was last to follow but found himself a spot in amongst the four on the floor. As they were all readied, Minho effortlessly waved all the blinds shut and the TV off, only the red glow emitting from his hands to illuminate the area.

With flicks of his fingers and twists of the hands, Minho projected a night full of stars suspended in the air. Appearing similar to a hologram but with no projector or source— just a simple galaxy frozen in their living room.  


He churned the colour in amongst the glittery beads, creating the look of milky ways and red-shifting supernovas along with distant planets with their own constellations. The scene was utterly entrancing, shines of bright stars reflecting in their irises, creating the starry-eyed appearance that every watcher was feeling.

Chan pointed at a purple swirl twisting through a bundle of constellations, gasping at its beauty. “This is so pretty...” He mumbled more to himself, however, the silence that fell over them made it loud and clear. Each and every one of the other five agreed, humming and watching in awe.

“Yeah! Where did you learn this?” Changbin asked, noticing the spinning rings of the miniature planet above his head.  


Minho shrugged again, “I kind of just… Did it.” he said, looking at his hands that were still seeping with power.

“You're so good at it!” Jeongin added. With the extra power he had hanging in the air, Minho lifted a model space ship that was sitting in their extensive collection of trinkets and began floating it around, weaving in and out of planets and stars.

Minho chuckled, happy they were all enjoying the show. “Well, I had a lot of practice.” He said with a faint smile, “It was the only way to get Jisung to sleep at first.”

“Could knock me out too.” Seungmin giggled, a little yawn escaping his mouth.

His mind began to wander as he continued to control and mix up the galaxy he created. What with the laughter and murmurs surrounding him, one in particular, along with the small snoozing Jisung curled up and buried in his side, he came to a conclusion. “You know what? I’m kinda glad you all ended up here.” He let out, a content hum or two giving him a prompt to continue, “I thought I was never even going to see Seungmin again... But here you are.” he breathed out a sigh with his last sentence, feeling like he was getting things off his chest although nothing said was of huge importance.

“Thanks to these guys... And Dahyun.” Seungmin giggled, tilting his head back to see the top of Minho’s, noticing a small smile that displayed genuine happiness. A good sight to see on an old friend.

Jeongin propped himself up on his elbow, turning to look over the group on the floor, Chan in his peripheral still entranced by the display of light. “I’m kinda happy with the way this turned out too. I mean, made some new friends, chilling out in Thailand… That's pretty cool.” Most nodded in agreement bar the drowsy Seungmin and Jisung who mirrored the curled up snoozing position of the cat.

Changbin placed one arm under his head, closing his eyes slowly. “Man, I haven't made new friends since we found Jeongin in a ditch.” The statement raised a few eyebrows but the vampires and Woojin nodded along like it was a normal statement.

“You what?” Minho questioned.

“Story for another time.” Woojin chuckled, turning his head to see Minho’s somewhat confused face.  


Chan rolled over, viewing all five sprawled on the floor similarly to Jeongin. “So I guess it's the seven of us now…” he stated, seeing no signs of disagreement from anyone.

“Eight.” Minho said, petting the cat which had climbed up to be on his chest.

Chan scratched the back of his neck, “Oh, yep, eight. If I don't eat him by tomorrow.”

“You will do nothing of the sort!” the other said, shielding the creature's ears with his hands. It seemed to have picked up on Chan's comment, eyes opening briefly to give him a glare.

“I’m kidding... I think.” Chan clarified, eyeing the cat warily with stomach still not quite as full as he wished it was.

Seungmin reached up, wafting a hand through the galaxy Minho created, making it ripple. “I could get used to this...” he muttered, lazily waving his fingers back and forth.

Woojin copied his action, trying to catch a star or two. All were on the same page as the redhead, though Changbin joked with him, “You probably should. That's it, you're stuck with us now.”

Seungmin hummed, knowing that fact and only smiling more. “Even better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boom Minho's power  
> his power was very much inspired by a combination of a weird dream I had and my queen Wanda Maximoff
> 
> its a shorter and slightly plot irrelevant but I really like it  
> also please hit me with some opinions I love reading comments <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bitch is seeing skz in London and is way too excited

Lounging about on a warm afternoon, Minho, Jeongin, Chan and Seungmin sat at the kitchen counter, drinks in hand. All four stared intensely at their new furry friend, it laying there with its tail wrapped around while it basked in the sun pouring through the windows.

Chan stroked his chin in thought before he looked between the three, “Fluffy.”

“Eh.” Seungmin scrunched his nose, swirling the ice cubes in his glass.

Minho held a hand out, the cat rubbing its face on it. “Smoky?”

“It’s ginger.” Jeongin pointed out, raising a brow at the suggestion.

Minho nodded, realising and slightly judging himself at the name, “Good point.”

“What are you guys even doing?” From across the room, Changbin turned around from the couch to see the four circling the cat like a cult summoning. Woojin and Jisung sat with him, both engrossed in some game show that they’d found while trying to keep cool.

Chan flung his arms in the air, “Trying to name this fucking cat! It's been going by ‘it’ and ‘cat’ for the past three days so I think it needs a name.” He sighed, returning to the staring contest with the creature.

Shaking his head, Changbin turned back to the screen. “How about Midnight Snack…” he mumbled under his breath, earning a small slap to the leg from Jisung, attempting to look threatening but displaying a small pout.

The four returned to their naming battle, “Simba.” Seungmin pitched, seeing the small animal awaken with a yawn.

“No! That's lame!” Jeongin groaned, “Plus she's not even a boy!”

Chan gave him a weirded out look, poking the cats twitching ears. “How do you know?” he wiggled his eyebrows with a giggle.

“I dunno.. Just kinda guessed.” Jeongin replied with a shrug.

Minho placed down his glass, petting the cat’s head before going to pick it up. “You can't just assume that shit, let's just see.” The cat scrambled as Minho went to scoop it up, claws gripping the counter's edge.

Jeongin looked at him in horror, “Ew you're gonna look? Cat perv!—”

“It's a fucking cat what are you even—”

Before Minho could get a firm grip on it in his arms, the feline launched itself out of his arms and ran away. It jumped up onto the back of the couch, giving them a glare before going back to sleep again. Seungmin giggled before taking another sip of his drink, “See? Don't disrespect its privacy.”

“Okay well, gender-neutral names it is!” Chan clapped his hands, initiating another brainstorm.

Changbin turned his head again, noticing the creature sat just above him. Getting a closer look at its face, the markings were similar to that of a raccoon on its face, only orange tones of fur rather than grey forming what looked like a little mask. “I say, Bandit. It  _ looks _ like a trash panda and it  _ was _ trying to rob a bin when we found it..”

Minho shrugged, “That's okay I guess…”

Chan downed the rest of his drink, hopping off his bar stool and heading for the couch. “Bandit it is then!”   


The other three followed suit, all sprawled across the sofa and floor in a similar fashion to every other day. God awful daytime TV was pretty much the only entertainment they had going except for making the sorcerer trio perform different tricks like circus acts. However, that could only go so far.

After an episode or two of the crappy show that filled the channels with reruns, all seven were officially bored to death. Not only was boredom a killer, but the feeling of being roasted alive in the intense sun was also draining.

Jisung rolled over from his stomach down position on the couch, ending up lying across Minho’s lap. He looked up with a pout and the most convincing smile he could muster, “Can we go swimming?” He asked, eyes wide to try and aid in persuasion, followed by a pained whine, “It's so hot.”

The older thought for a moment, humming as he lifted the whining boy off him. “Why not, I’ll grab the ring.”

Seungmin spun around in his seat, excited grin plastering his face, “Are we going to the beach? Cool!” He hopped up on his knees, ready for the other to confirm.

Woojin groaned, throwing his head back on the couch cushion, “Oh god no, I haven't touched the beach since we went in the eighties and I'm  _ still _ finding sand in my shoes.”

An excited buzz filled a few while Woojin and two out of the three vampires looked like they wanted to kill themselves at the idea. Jeongin joined Seungmin in his spike of hyperactivity, waiting for Minho to continue.

Minho strolled over to the stairs, opening a small cupboard underneath. “The beach? Oh no, in our pool.” he explained nonchalantly, pulling out a deflated pool ring.

“You have a pool?!” Seungmin asked, baffled that they weren't informed of this before. Jisung nodded, squeaking in delight as he jumped up from his seat and ran to the male with the pool inflatable.

With the energy of hyper five-year-olds, both Seungmin and Jeongin followed to the stairs. “Sick! Where is it?” Jeongin asked, waiting impatiently and bouncing on the balls of his feet. On learning that they were in fact, not going to the beach, Chan and Woojin now both seemed interested.

Minho chuckled at their drastic change in energy, “Right,” He held his hands out, red essence beginning to flow over his fingers. He directed them at the wall beside the staircase, one they all assumed met the outside. To their surprise, it began to glow with Minho’s gestures, dissipating into thin air. “There.”

The removal of the wall revealed an arched entranceway, opening up to a whole new room. It was almost the size of the rest of the house’s ground level combined; large, cleanly tiled pool filling the vast majority while a pillowed seating area sat by the door. The entirety of the walls facing the outside were glass tinted windows, showing the view of hundreds of acres of woodland in the valley.

Woojin walked up next to the other sorcerer, brow raised at the sight while the others wandered in to look around. “That's a weird ass place to connect a pool room.” he commented, earning a laugh from the other.

“I know right? There used to be doors there but they were ugly so… Threw ‘em out and stuck a conceal wall there instead.” Minho shook his hands out, red swirls dissipating to their source. “Stops the smell of chlorine too.”

Woojin nodded, following as Minho walked through the entrance along with the rest, grinning to himself at all their fascinated and impressed faces. Without warning, Jisung's pool inflatable was shoved into his arms as they all scattered, preparing to swim while he was left to blow it up.

* * *

 

No more than five minutes later, screams and splashes echoed throughout the room. Minho attempted to swim peacefully, however, that was never going to happen what with all hell breaking loose behind him. Jeongin repeatedly slashed his arm into the water, creating waves of splashes to cascade both Jisung and Seungmin. His game was foiled however by Chan sneaking up behind him and launching the boy across the water.

Flinching at the splashes that hit him unwillingly, Minho made his way over to the wall beside the two who had decided not to join them. Woojin and Changbin sat in the little seating area that dipped into the wall by the door, cushioned benches attached to the wall around a wooden circular table.

Minho swam over, resting his forearms on the side of the pool and propped his chin on his hands. “You two not coming in?” he asked the pair, receiving less than enthusiastic responses.

“Oh no, I don't do water.” Changbin said flatly, attempting one of those wooden puzzle boxes he’d found lying around. Minho chuckled at his struggle, turning to Woojin with an expectant look.

Woojin waved a hand, “I’m okay, I can fuck with you guys from here.” Spellbook laid out in front of him, he flipped the page, going back to read through its contents and leaving Minho both concerned and curious.

“What does that—”

Before he could even spit the question out, the older whirled his hands, extending one towards the four boys still making a racket in the far end of the pool. Not a word was spoken as he used his power to lift Chan out of the water briefly before throwing him back in again.

“Oh, Jesus Christ—”

Woojin returned to his book, a satisfied smile on his face at Chan's confused yelling. They watched as the four continued to splash about while chatting about whatever topics came to mind. To their surprise, the new household pet came wandering in, clearly curious as to where everyone suddenly disappeared to and where the god awful racket had appeared in place. Ears pricked, the cat came strolling to where the three were gathered, oddly unbothered by the body of water and droplets being sprayed everywhere.

It hopped up onto the seats between Woojin and Changbin, the sorcerer giving a quick pat while the vampire eyed it with a clear struggle to contain his instinct. He persevered, however, returning to his puzzle with extreme concentration and becoming the subject of the other’s amusement.

To Changbin, the cats next actions were viewed as a pure mockery. It ducked under his arm which was propped on the table with his puzzle in hand, clambered onto his lap and simply sat there. It looked at him expectantly, the vampire whining at the animal as he sat back from the table, staring back at it.

“Looks like you’ve made a friend there.” Minho mocked, seeing the turmoil on the older's face. Both the onlookers sniggered at Changbins struggle, neither of which in any rush to help.

“This is absolute torture.” He sighed, scrunching his face up at the animal. Scared that pushing it off would trigger something just by the touch, Changbin let it sit there as he glared holes through its skull. “This is a genuine piss-take.”

Woojin giggled at him, reaching over to pet the cat, “Oh stop it. Look, poor little Bandit just wants some love.” As expected, Bandit leaned into his hand with the stroke and closed its eyes to welcome the action.

Yells and laughter drew their attention back to the pool, watching as the four played another game. Chan carried Seungmin on his shoulders at one side while Jeongin balanced himself with Jisung on top like unstable totem poles. Presumably, the aim was to pull the other pair down.

“Come here, We’re gonna have you both toppled in no time!” Jeongin exclaimed, beginning to wade over to the mentioned while trying to keep Jisung steady.

“You wish! Go, Chan!” Seungmin called back with equal confidence, hitting the sides of Chan's arms to encourage him to move.

They waded towards each other, the three watching from the sidelines getting just as much enjoyment from watching as the ones playing. Seungmin grabbed a hold of the younger boy, attempting to yank him down with a struggle. Jeongin quickly broke them away, and returned Jisung to the battle, “Get him Jisung!”

Jisung did so, pulling the redhead towards them, causing Chan to lose his balance and topple over. The winning pair cheered at their victory, getting a round of applause from their spectators as they performed a little victory dance.

Before Jeongin could let Jisung down gracefully, they felt the pool water begin to drain. Confused, the pair looked up to see Seungmin whirling his hands out over the water, a dark blue glow to it as some of the liquid began to rise up in a barrier leaning towards them. In an instant the redhead dropped the water into the pool again, directly over the pair which knocked them both off their feet with shrieks of surprise. His actions caused an abundance of laughter and triggered their random attacks and antics to continue.

While watching, Woojin observed a few peculiar things. Flipping his book shut, he turned to the boy beside them in the pool.

“Does it not feel… Weird for Jisung?” He questioned, brows furrowed as they all watched the boy in question. “Like, the water is going through him in places...”

His observation was correct, in the places the teleporting boy was faded and glitching, the water of the pool was simply passing straight through him. It was a logical question, what it would feel like for things to pass straight through you or if you could feel them at all.

Minho shrugged, glancing back at the older. “I don't know, he says it tickles sometimes so I'm not too worried.” He’d thought about it himself before, asked a few times what it was actually like for the boy but never got an immensely solid answer. Assuming Jisung had struggled with the issue his whole life, he’d most likely become accustomed to it so couldn't describe it all that well.

“Ah! What is it—” Changbin let out suddenly, earning the attention of the others.

The oldest was staring down at the cat with huge amounts of confusion, watching it lean against his chest. Minho rose a brow at that, not seeing anything peculiar, “What?”

Changbin pointed at Bandit, the animal simply rubbing its face gently against his shirt. “It's like, nudging me—” He muttered, perplexed by its behaviour.

The younger pair couldn't help but laugh at his confusion, “That's called affection. Just pet it, like a scratch behind the ear or something.” Minho told him, gesturing for the other to do so.

Changbin gave him a wary gaze, as if Minho had just suggested something that would pose a threat to his well being. “Are you sure? It sounds like it’s about to explode.”   


“That's called purring…” Woojin chuckled.   


Changbin gave the animal a gentle pat to the head. “Uh, hey little dude…” He continued for a minute or two, gradually growing more comfortable as Bandit settled on his lap, purring away at the attention it was receiving.

“See? You’re enjoying it as much as Bandit is.” Minho teased, seeing the smile Changbin had let fall on his face quickly hide away at his words.

Changbin scoffed, trying to play it off, “What? No…”

“Aw, you love it really.” Woojin poked his arm, chuckling at the older and his child-like frown in retaliation.

While they were jesting between the three, Seungmin hauled himself out of the pool and made his way over. He shivered in the initial cool air but shuffled over anyway. “Hey, is there anything I can have in the fridge?”

Gathering he meant he wanted a snack, Woojin thought for a moment before confirming. “Yeah, there should be a plate of leftovers from last night.” The thought made Minho’s stomach rumble, tempted to join the redhead in grabbing a snack but enjoying the water just too damn much. Changbin, however, was too entranced by the animal on his lap to care, the cat flicking its gaze between the three as they conversed.

“Sweet!” Seungmin shuffled off, about to enter the main house before being called out to.

“Dry off before you go back through! I don't want to be mopping a soggy floor!” Minho yelled, voice echoing through the pool room and somehow managing to be heard over the chaos of noise still happening behind him.

Seungmin shrugged, not bothering to grab a towel, instead using his power to create a whirlwind around himself. Standing for a few seconds inside of his human-sized tornado was enough to dry him off, along with the floor around him. The wind settled, allowing him to step into the main house with a smug grin to Minho.

He trudged his way over to the kitchen, readjusting his windswept red hair. On arriving at the fridge, he yanked the door open to sift through its contents. He was presented with the general things you’d expect, however, one thing he was expecting was not anywhere to be seen. Bowls, bottles, dishes, packets of whatever would provide a meal for later, but no plate of leftovers as Woojin had told him.

Confused, he called out to Woojin, “Where is it? I can't find it!” The redhead continued his search as he heard shuffling from the entranceway.

Woojin appeared by the counter, leaning against it with a look to say ‘have you even looked?’ A few moments more of Seungmin’s searching before the older gave in. “It's like, right there. Top shelf?”

Seungmin looked again, nothing present to fit the description. He gestured a hand for the other to look for himself with a defeated sigh, “Nope…”

Woojin rolled his eyes with a grin, thinking he was about to prove the other wrong. He directed his search straight to where he remembered putting the leftovers of last night's meal, only to be clouded with the same confusion Seungmin had. “What the— Where did it go?”

“I told you...” Seungmin sighed, giving up and making his way back to the pool. Woojin did the same, trailing behind while muttering to himself about a few other items he noticed missing.

Once back to the pool, Seungmin hopped back in and propped himself on the pool wall, similar to how Minho was. While the pair were gone, Chan had joined them at the sidelines to let the youngest of their types battle between themselves. Noting the gathering, Woojin announced their new findings accusingly, “Okay which one of you raided the fridge?”

Expecting it to be one of the vampires, the sorcerer flicked looks of suspicion at the both of them.

“Not me.” Chan stated, hands coming up for a second in defence.

“Nope.” Changbin muttered with disinterest, attention still on the cat.

Minho gave the older a curious look, “So there  _ is  _ stuff missing? I thought there was the day before too! A whole ass pack of ham just—” he gestured wildly with his hands, demonstrating its mysterious disappearance.   


Woojin hummed in agreement, “So who was it?” They each looked at each other, ready to accuse of the missing food.

While thinking, Minho turned himself to face the two boys still playing in the water, gaining their attention as they neared. “Jisung, have you taken anything from the fridge?” he asked the boy to which he gained a shake of the head.

“No…” he denied, sounding pretty innocent to the ears of everyone. Using a process of elimination, all eyes turned to the vampire floating beside him.

“Jeongin?”

“What! No! It wasn't me.” immediately he held his hands up defensively, looking offended that they’d even imply such a thing.

Changbin didn't even look up, “Sounds pretty guilty to me.” he mumbled bluntly.

“What?!” Jeongin shrieked, realising now that they all agreed.   


Woojin sighed, shaking his head. “Alright then, Jeongin my boy, you're going down to the market to restock.” he ordered to which the younger tried to protest.

“But it wasn't—”

“Too late! You're going.” Woojin said, nodding his head towards the door for the younger to follow.

Jeongin splashed about, still in disbelief that it had even lead to this. “Why do you all think it was me?!” He cried, thrashing about in the water just for added dramatic effect.

“Because you are the worst with the vampire munchies.” Chan stated matter of factly, returning to a leisurely swim.

Jeongin clambered out of the pool, still trying to argue his case. “Okay that's true, but I didn't!” he had to agree since it was common knowledge at this point to them all.

Woojin patted his back with a chuckle, “It doesn't matter, you're not in trouble, you're just responsible for getting more.” He rephrased which seemed to clear the youngers intentions of protesting any longer.

“But— ugh fine.” He muttered to himself, using his speed to dry off and get changed in a matter of seconds. He mumbled to himself as he walked out, grabbing Minho’s wallet.

“Grab some more cherimoya too!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao Changbin with bandit is a direct representation of my dad when we first got our cat
> 
> its a lame filler but it would still be fun to hear what you have to say :D


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so guess whos updating sooner than I would otherwise after just saying I'm going to slow 'em down?

To no surprise, the intense heat seemed to repel people from the marketplace Jeongin found himself in the middle of, making it a whole lot easier to dip in and out to retrieve the items he was ordered to get. He weaved the stalls freely, stopping at a fruit seller for a minute or so; half because of the produce and half because there was a small portable cooler that was providing a nice chill to the summer air.

“Thank you!” he called to the woman who served him, fruits all bagged up and ready to go. With multiple plastic carrier bags in either hand, the young vampire was ready to head home with his shopping haul. Luckily for him, he didn't actually have to pay for everything; Minho did. Obviously with the rush to get out, the four fleeing their home didn't come prepared with their wallets, or anything at that. To their fortune, Minho was kind enough to buy them some nice clothes and cover the food and living expenses; although still jokingly used it against them.

As Jeongin continued his stroll back to the house, he examined the wallet he held between his fingers, looking at all the cards and cash notes stashed inside.  _ Where does he get it all from?  _ He pondered to himself, _ we've been here a while now and he’s never been to work or anything... _ They’d asked him when he offered to buy them all these things what he did for a living, where his income came from, (Seungmin did since they were close enough to be that forward) but all they got as a response was that it was “classified information” with his playful demeanour.

Though it was laughed at at the time, Jeongin couldn't help but seem suspicious as to why he wouldn't tell them. It wasn't a big deal, he’d just like to know; but the other avoided the question. He made a mental note to himself along that walk to find out one way or another.

He puffed and panted as he made it to the top, muttering in breaths. “Stupid fucking hill.” He spat at the slope, glad that he’d distracted himself the whole way up so he wasn't conscious of it.

At the road’s plateau, the vampire debated using his enhanced speed to get home in only a few seconds since the road seemed pretty quiet. However, that thought was quickly abolished at the thought of the warnings his olders had bombard him with before every outing, hearing their voices ringing like a demon on his shoulder.

Jeongin plodded along getting quickly bored of the same old trees, same houses although not many, the same tarmac that radiated the sun's heat back up at him. Looking up from his scuffed shoes, the boy stopped in his tracks when he saw a figure standing a way down the road.

It was unexpected to say the least, however the boy thought nothing of it before continuing his walk. He approached the strange person since they were in the direction of his destination but tried his best to avoid any eye contact. It wasn't like seeing someone else was any major problem, just a little odd considering the distance they were from any significant civilisation.

He glanced up briefly just to check his proximity with the stranger, immediately regretting it. Whoever the person was had positioned themselves a mere few metres away, unclear face directed straight at his own. Obviously startled, Jeongin paused at the sight of them before trying to step around, only for his movements to be mirrored in the close distance.

Both confused as to their intentions and undeniably creeped out, Jeongin decided to call out to them with a weak, “Uh… Hello?”

The figure merely cocked its head, a slender arm extending out toward the other in a lazy fashion. He flicked a finger which instantly displayed some sort of dark aura around it, clear to the vampire that the other was similar to himself in supernatural terms. Its hand directed itself towards the now slightly nervous boy, incrementally bringing the fingers to the palm. Giving Jeongin more reason to be fearful, it's actions caused an odd sensation to come over his body, initiating his fangs to appear and eyes to flash with their black colour; true nature revealed just like that.

Once the feeling had settled after just a few seconds, the vampire retracted his teeth and returned to normal, that primal glint in his eye turning to one of pure fear; an emotion he hadn't felt that raw in a while. Whatever had just taken place seemed to please the mystery figure, head tipped back upright with a stride closer to the frozen male.

“Where is he.” It suddenly muttered in a gruff, low, almost demonic voice. It's face was still a mystery as the large hood it wore was shielding it effectively, that is, if it even had one. The boy couldn't even be confident of that anymore.   


The question rang through his head for a moment before a reply could even come to be. His confusion was evident in his tone of voice, as well as his nerves. “Who?” He questioned back, unsure of how else to respond to such a vague question.

“The glitch. Where is he.” It repeated, sounding more of a growl the more it spoke. It took a step closer to which Jeongin took a meek step back.   


Slowly backing away as the figure grew closer, the vampire sputtered out a response before his fight or flight reflexes could kick in. “I-I don't know what you mean, I’m just—”

He paused, hearing an annoyed growl rumble from beneath the view restricting hood. Jeongin watched as a seemingly smouldering hand reached up and over its shoulder slowly but certainly. Only now noticing a long, thin casing strapped to its back with a leather-wrapped handle, the afraid boy continued his paces backwards before he could find out what was encased in the holster.

Unfortunately for him, the figure grabbed a hold of the handle, unsheathing a sharpened sword. “Woah uh, p-please don’t—” Jeongin tried to plead before stumbling to the ground, half out of nerves causing his knees to give and half out of tripping over his own feet. He lay on the sizzling concrete, throat restricting as the cool metal was pressed into the area. He hissed at the feeling, seeing the steam release from his skin and deducting it was made of none other than silver.

With both fear and now an excruciating pain taking a hold of his mind, the only thing the boy could think of to say was a pathetically strung together collection of sputtered words. “J-Just take my shit, don't hurt me—” He hissed through his teeth as he made miserable attempts to back away, dragging himself along the concrete with squinted eyes in hopes to cope with the searing pain slowly worsening.

The panicking boy was near surrender, pain not ceasing, until he felt another presence beside him, their shadow blocking the vampire from the sun. It didn't feel threatening however, almost balancing out the dark one that had undoubtedly consumed the area. To both surprise and relief, before the blade could tear any further into his skin, a forceful kick landed square in the strangers chest, harshly shoving them away. Thuds of heavy combat continued above the struggling vampire on the floor. He glanced up with only one eye, the other still squinted shut to try to cope with the dizziness that struck his head. A metre or so ahead, the figure that once towered over him with nothing but malicious intent, now struggled to hold its own against their new opponent who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Jeongin watched his new defender as it would seem, lay relentless punches and kicks to his attacker, all while effectively dodging the sword being swung in every direction. They brawled as the vampire scrambled to his feet, wanting to help out but too frozen in shock to act. One would swing while the other would dodge, reversing roles with building anger and determination. Jeongin could see the intentions in each of their stances and actions; the dark aura would slash their way maniacally at his opponents body, a clear motive to do some damage. His seemingly good intentioned counterpart firmly placed himself between the attacker and the vampire to act as a shield.

Before Jeongin could even register what he was watching, it took a turn for the worse so it would appear. As lethargy began to take its toll, his defender missed his mark, stumbling to a vulnerable striking point for the other. Natural reactions caused his right arm to fly up in defence, blocking a strike from the now bloodied blade. As if a simple carvery animal in the line of a butchers swing, the forearm which was thrown carelessly into the defence line was severed clean in half.

Seeing the scene in front of him was similar to something out of a horror movie. Granted, in his fair few years of living, Jeongin had seen his share of gore and gruesome incidents, however, the added fear for his own life added on to the bloodied mess before him meant it came to a studded conclusion that this one takes the cake.

After achieving the dismemberment of another, the maniacal figure took a few steps back, hood falling as it looked up at the two before it. The vampire now took note of its features, trembling as he realised its figure was swarmed with dark markings resembling those of ancient summoning circles of demonic scripture. Its face could barely be described as a face, only an entity of darkness in which beaded eyes peered through into what felt like his soul.

It seemed pleased with itself, returning its freshly stained weapon to the holster. A grave laugh rumbled from the creature, giving one last warning glare to its defeated opponent before it vanished before them. The action happened with something akin to a black hole appeared at its core, sucking it into a void for all they knew.   


It's disappearance gave Jeongin the minute he needed to grasp a hold of some sort of sense. Still shaken, he flicked his gaze to his defender, hunched over and looking way too calm for someone who just lost a limb.

“Shit…” He breathed, looking between his missing arm and the combat scene he just lost to. Stinging pain shot through his arm which he managed to play down as to not alarm the other. Jeongin, now regained a somewhat sense of reality, started to panic at the others state regardless of his efforts to seem unfazed.

“Oh my god! A-Are you okay?!” He borderline screeched as he rushed his way over to the other, placing a hand on his back just to make sure they had support if needed. The vampire looked on with worry as the other wrapped his arm in the sweatshirt he was previously wearing, stretching his back to be stood up right again. He blew a few loose strands of his dirty blond hair out of his eyes in order to give Jeongin a quick glance over.

Panting a little, the stranger nodded towards the decent sized mark on the others neck. “It didn't— get you too bad, right?” He asked, looking at the wound as if it was something to be worried about. Jeongin furrowed his brow although eyes were widened as he thought of a response, baffled that the other would even be bothered to ask about such a wound.

“What? No— why does that matter, your whole arm is fucking gone!” Jeongin exclaimed, head craned up slightly to meet eyes with the stranger who simply waved him off, leaving his own injury unattended to as if it was a minor bruise.

He turned his lip up, brushing Jeongin’s comment off with a strained chuckle. “Yeah don't worry about—”

“No, I think I will worry about that! What the fuck man!” Jeongin cut him off, grabbing hold of the piece of cloth that was slowly falling from his forearm, drenched in blood. However, the scent of the red substance soaking the garment somehow didn't seem to trigger any urge of the sorts. It smelled to him more of a plain, borderline bitter liquid, something along the lines of cooking oil.   


He bandaged the strangers arm tightly with the cloth, taking his other hand and forcing him to hold it on there. His distressed tone of voice and worried eyes only made the other forget the pain the faintest bit, shaking his head at the boy. “It's fine, really—” He tried to calm the other down by looking as unbothered as possible, regaining his breath from the excessive panting from before.

He looked down at the ground briefly to see his severed limb sitting limply on the floor. Jeongin could see the stranger grimace slightly, followed by an eye roll. The blond flicked the body part up onto his foot before kicking it into the hedgerow,  _ a nice snack for the wildlife,  _ and attempted to shake any remains off his shoe.

Jeongin watched all this with an expression close to horror, although the other didn't seem to care. With a last smile at the vampire, he handed the bags of groceries that Jeongin had dropped during the attack back to the boy before beginning to stroll away.

Jeongin, still not over the fact that this man's arm is  _ literally missing,  _ he grabbed a hold of the back of the other's shirt to stop him from leaving. “Nope, Woojin can fix you up, come here.” He called, yanking the stranger backwards in order for him to be back at the vampire's side.   


The blond sighed, eyes pinched shut in incredulity with how stubborn the boy was, “Who? No, seriously kid—”

Before he could continue, Jeongin hoisted him over his shoulder without a second of warning. With his shopping haul on one arm and a whole ass person on the other, he revved up his power ready to speed his way back. In the seconds before he took off, the vampire had flashing thoughts about not using his abilities in public; at this point, however, he didn't think it applied.

* * *

Now dried off and changed from their swimming session, six worn out boys lounged about the living room and awaited the arrival of the seventh. Jisung, Minho and Seungmin sat playing cards at the table while the others sat on the couch, TV not even on. Both the vampires lay upside down, Chans still damp hair creating a small puddle on the floor.

“How long does it take to get a couple things from the market?” Woojin sighed, checking the time for the sixth time in the last five minutes. The three playing cards were too immersed in their game to respond at all, only brief hums of acknowledgement for replies.

Changbin rolled over, now on his stomach. “I know, he’s been gone a while…” He replied while he dipped his finger in the puddle Chan had made on the floor, flicking it in the blond’s face. Chan sat up at that, wiping the drip with his sleeve and slapping the younger on the back for the watery assault.

Before Changbin could respond with any comical remarks, a sharp crash followed by a strong gust of wind snapped the six’s attention to the doorway. The door had been swung open so harshly it had dented the white wall from the crash of the handle, while the playing cards that were once laid out neatly in canastas flew chaotically to the ground.

Now hunched over panting, stood in the middle of the room, a surprise appearing Jeongin wheezing out a broken sentence. “Woojin— Healing spell— arm—”

No one in the room seemed to move, both stunned by the sudden change of pace and confused as to why it happened. Jeongin slung the shopping bags onto the floor with no care whatsoever, priority on the slightly struggling male draped over his shoulder.   


Woojin immediately stood up even though he was just as confused, not moving from the couch but a whole lot more alert that before. He raised a brow, “Why? Who's that?”

Jeongin almost threw the stranger onto the broad table, holding the blood stained cloth around the severed limb. “Action now, questions later!” He shrieked at the older, nodding for him to retrieve his spell book.

Woojin only then noticed the seeping sweatshirt around the stranger’s arm, as well as the look of both panic and intensity on the vampire's face. It wasn't very often that the younger was this intense about anything, one red flag that kicked the sorcerer into action.

“Oh shit! Okay uh,” Woojin dodged around the couch to make his way over to the boy, jutting his hand out on the way to retrieve the spell book that shot across the room.

The three at the table had already gotten up from their seats to help, however, Minho had some protests on the stranger being laid out on his dining table. Jeongin grabbed a hold of the cloth ready to pull it off and let Woojin step in, noticing in passing that the bleeding seemed to have slowed.

The blond on the table sat up, placing his one hand on the vampire's arm to try to calm him down for the last time. “I said I’m  _ fine _ kid—”

“No, your arm is—!” Jeongin cut him off once again, determined to help the guy who just saved him. He whipped the cloth off of the others arm, making sure Woojin was ready with his spell and had the extra pair of hands from Seungmin just in case. Once it was off, the three paused for a moment, not really sure what to do. Jeongin was most perplexed, glancing up at the other as if to confirm what he was seeing. “Okay?”

Opposed to everything that happened to the pair in the last fifteen minutes, Jeongin was baffled to reveal his arm— fully healed to the wrist. It was as if nothing had ever happened, bar the missing right hand that looked like it was never there in the first place.

The room fell silent, the blond on the table rubbing his neck awkwardly as they all looked on. Woojin turned to the vampire beside him, pinching the bridge of his nose as a sigh escaped his lips, “Jeongin, you can't just bring random people here for the fun of it.” He landed his gaze on the boy in question whose eyes were wide in confusion.

Jeongin couldn't help but stutter, gaze not knowing where to land while his brain tried to wrap itself around the situation. “No, he... He saved me!” The boy cried, turning back to the blond while almost pleading with his eyes.

“You did?” Minho asked, a little sceptical but decided to go along with it. It had nothing to do with the original problem as far as they knew but something is better than nothing.

The stranger sat on their table breathed out a chuckle, “Well... Kinda?”

Jeongin grabbed his left arm, shaking it while he spoke over-excitedly, startling the other. “You did! This guy came at me with a sword and was like asking me all this weird shit but I have no idea what he was on about, and—”

“Woah, slow down. A sword?” Seungmin asked, managing to get Jeongin to release the poor blond's arm. The vampire nodded in hopes of at least someone believing him, seeing all their sceptical faces didn't induce much hope.

“I think the question right now is why is this child on our dining table?” Minho butted in, gesturing to the still unnamed person sat awkwardly in the middle of their crossfire.

Jeongin continued insisting, “Because his arm was gone!”

“Looks pretty there to me...” Leaning over the back of the couch, Changbin gave his two cents with a hand propping up his chin.

“It was!”

The seven continued their debate, slowly coming to terms with what Jeongin was trying to convey. They’d almost forgotten that the subject to their debate was actually a person sat in amongst them all until said boy interjected.   


The blond raised his hand, gaining the attention of everyone around. “Well, I think it's safe to assume you aren't gonna get me arrested now so… If I may,” He began, hopefully to enlighten them all of something or another to ease their disarray. Glances exchanged around the room, deciding it wouldn't hurt. Minho prompted with a nod while the others looked on expectantly.   


Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, the blond looked up with a small smile, “Hi. Hyunjin.” He gestured to himself before thinking about how to phrase his next words. “Kind of... Immortal?”

“Join the club.” Chan scoffed from the couch, leaning over the back beside Changbin. His comment made a few in the room snicker, however leaving a raised brow.

“You're like him then, Vampires? You can't die?” the blond, Hyunjin, asked, referring to Jeongin in his query. He’d known all sorts of beings throughout his years but never found another with ability as extreme as his own; past vampire friends being one of them.

Changbin tilted his head with the thought, weighing it up for a moment. “Well, with some force maybe, but not of natural causes.” He came to the conclusion, seeing Jeongin nod along in agreement.

“Oh…” Hyunjin hummed, returning his gaze to his half missing limb. He ran his fingers over the once open wound, sighing as it moved slightly under his touch. This didn’t go unnoticed by his onlookers as they all stood in quiet, not quite sure what to say. “Must be nice to have that at least.” The boy mumbled more to himself, shoulders falling a little.

This caught Woojin's attention, “You mean you, like… Can’t at all?” He asked.

Hyunjin couldn't help but chuckle, “Nope. I’m regenerative. Tested and proved, death just doesn't like me.” he replied, oddly chirpy considering the topic of discussion.

“Oh Jesus, that's intense.” Minho spoke under his breath.

“Mhm.” the blond hummed a response, fumbling with his tattered jeans. It took him a second to do so but he pushed himself off the table, hopping to his feet. “Well, thank you for your concern but I’ll be on my way.” He announced to which came more silence.

Jeongin broke that quiet spell, however, approaching the other with small steps. “If you're leaving, at least let me walk you home?” the vampire offered.   


Hyunjin paused for a second before responding, the hesitance clear on his face. “Oh um… That’s okay I... I don't really have one…”

Most were clearly surprised by the response, Seungmin jumping in with his own questions. “Where are you living then? Is there a hideout around here?”

“Hideout? What’s that?” Hyunjin asked the red-headed boy, head cocking to one side a little as his tongue poked out slightly, presumably a habit in thought. He frowned a little, thinking nothing of his daily occurrences. “I just kind of… Go wherever I can.”

“Well, you're welcome to stay for a bit,” Minho attempted to offer which came with no shock value to the rest, considering how accepting he was of them. His offers were cut off however when the blond raised a hand, patting his shoulder lightly as a sort of thanks.

“No, that's okay, I have some... Things to look into.” He muttered the last part a little quieter, still caught by them all though.

Changbin sniggered from across the room, “Mysterious. Nice.”

Thanking Jeongin for his kindness and attempt to help, Hyunjin gave the rest quick thanks each with smiles to the five others. Before the blond could turn to leave, his eyes met with another pair, further away from the group, so much so he hadn't noticed the boy until now.

His body turned to face Woojin however his eyes never left the boy. “Uh, don't mean to be weird but… Who's that?” Hyunjin gestured, past Minho standing across from him and more so toward the kitchen.

At the question, Minho glanced back over his shoulder, noticing now that Jisung had left his side since the appearance of Hyunjin. Although he was improving, his nervous tendencies still caused him to retreat to a ‘safe’ distance from the stranger. “Oh, you mean Jisung?” Minho asked, “Come say hello Ji, don't be shy.” He waved the younger over, his slightly extended arm being taken advantage of as the shy boy clung to it on approaching, keeping himself half hidden behind the older.

Peculiar to them all, Hyunjin stayed silent in the moment and simply observed. Feeling the prolonged stare from the blond, Jisung attempted to hide in the shoulder of the brunette he was using as a shield. Noticing the behaviour, Minho gave his fading forearm a reassuring stroke which caused it to regain some control as he came out from his attempted hiding spot.

Watching closely, Hyunjin approached with a few wary steps, unnerving the younger a little. Hyunjin reached out a hand, however, pulling it back when the area of Jisung’s arm he was in the proximity of began to glitch a little more. He glanced up at Minho with an expression of fascination, “I’ve never seen anything like this…”

“What about it?” The brunette retorted almost defensively. Hyunjin didn't notice his on edge demeanour, only continued to observe; this time from a little more of a distance.

He continued thinking out loud, his tongue poking out again slightly in his thoughts, “This sort of... Matter shifting, fading, kind of—” before he finished his thoughts, his expression dropped. “Glitching.” As the words left his mouth, he shot his head toward Jeongin, seeing the other do the same. Both their eyes widened as they met each other, clearly coming to the same conclusion.

“Is that what that  _ thing _ was talking about?” Jeongin asked, just to confirm that his thoughts were matched. His face said he hoped to god he was wrong, while his tone portrayed how he didn't even want to think of the idea being so.

Hyunjin turned back to the pair with now confused expressions, similar to the others around the room. The blond couldn't help but notice how the boy’s fading worsened ever so slightly when his demeanour showed nervousness. “I hate to say it but I think so.”

“What are you talking about?” Chan asked, hopping over the back of the sofa in order to be part of what seemed to be becoming a more pressing conversation.   


The younger vampire shook his head, gaze held at the floor while he tried to explain at a pace that he himself could wrap his head around. “The guy... he wanted me to tell him about a… A ‘glitch’, which confused me then but…”

“They’ve been referring to a ‘he’ for months now.” Hyunjin thought out loud, gaining the attention of all around him.   


Both terrified and utterly confused, Woojin furrowed his brow with an alarmed look, “Wait, they?  _ Months? _ ”

Hyunjin nodded, still trying to get to grips with his new found discovery. The six around him all looked at each other with mirrored nervousness while Jisung attempted to burrow himself back into Minho’s side, clearly and rightfully fearful. Whilst the collective concern bubbled over, a sudden movement outside of the window caught his attention.   


He peered out the large unobscured windows, into the beginning of the wooded area that backed the home. The apprehensive feeling he held only grew when he noticed another, more obvious movement within the treeline, a plant or two left blackened, almost charred.

“Shut the blinds, all of them.” Hyunjin announced suddenly, catching them all off guard. Nobody moved, still stuck to the floor in their unease. He kept an eye on the trees, the charring seeming to creep along the leaves. Sensing another onslaught of questions, he added some urgency to his voice before any could come in hopes of getting some assistance. “Do it!”

Feeling Jisung flinch at the raised voice snapped Minho out of his half dazed state enough to notice the intensity behind the look Hyunjin was holding. He pulled his arm away from the boy still clinging to it, a small whine of both protest and fear from the other as he did so. Minho held out his palms for his power to be utilised, red glow consuming his finger tips to then shoot to every window in the room, causing a chain reaction of blinds flipping closed. With daylight now shut out, he shot another to the light in the centre of the room to switch it on, providing an oddly comforting warmth of light to their panicked atmosphere.

It dawned upon him for a moment, why on earth he even followed Hyunjin’s orders. The blond boy was a stranger less than twenty minutes ago, so why he even trusted the other was a mystery. Something about him made him seem so unthreatening, even with the intense glare he held on the small slivers of gaps in the blinds.

“Dude you're freaking me out.” Seungmin chimed in, taking a few steps back from the windows, presuming that if there was any sort of threat being posed, that was where it was.   


The blond pinched his eyes shut as if cursing himself out in his head. He winced at nothing while his words seemed struggled, “I know, I’m sorry and I know this is weird and intrusive but,” he babbled on, turning from his glare at the outside light still making its way in to meet the inquisitive yet fearful eyes of the rest of the room. He braced for his next request, knowing it was a bit of a push. “Can I take you up on that offer… And stay for a bit?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a long boi  
> if you feel like it check out the slow burner I just posted to relieve my trauma :)  
> anyway I like reading comments leave opinions por favor


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok did anyone else see the chick on twt trying to claim that Hyunjin copied Taehyung and his dog with Kkami like that shit cracked me tf up wow
> 
> I dont wanna start shit it was just funny

One thing Minho had learned from the past few months, aside from how easy it was to become an international criminal, was that his living room furniture was certainly not capacitated for accommodating eight people.

The vampire trio had managed to bag themselves the couch with their new guest in the middle, Minho had taken his armchair before anyone else had the opportunity to, Jisung sat cross legged at his feet along with the remaining sorcerers completing the circle on the rug. In amongst all that, of course their furry friend had snuck up to say hi to the new addition.

“Well, Bandit seems to like you.” Seungmin pointed out, said cat curling up on Hyunjin’s lap, purring away.

The blond patted the animal’s head, a smile creeping at the corner of his lips. “I like her too, nice refresher from the hectic couple decades I’ve had.” He said, the smile dropping with the tired exhale he followed with. He continued to run his fingers though Bandit’s soft fur, a relaxing contrast to his recent years of life.

“Yeah about that…” Chan interjected,  “Does that involve whatever all  _ that  _ was?” He gestured to the blond’s missing arm, referencing whatever attack he and Jeongin had endured earlier. This sort of chaotic happening may have been a familiar practice to Hyunjin, but certainly wasn’t to the rest. Hence their interest in getting some intel.

“Yeah..” Hyunjin confirmed, giving an awkward laugh and rub to the back of his neck. 

“Okay but what's it got to do with Jisung?” Of course it was still taking some time to grasp a hold of what had happened and the worries of what was to come, though Woojin was quick to continue the questions. His question was followed up with curious eyes all around, Minho’s hand falling to a grip on the mentioned boy’s shoulder.

“That part, I have no idea.” Hyunjin breathed out, subtly shaky. Nerves were about him, though more nervous on the reaction of the group than of the threat itself. He could tell they were all set to defensive mode, he just hoped that dribble of hostility wouldn’t turn to him. “But the guy who attacked us— it wasn't just  _ some gu _ y.” This gained a few wary yet still curious glances between the group which only made the blond more cautious of his next words. He glanced down for a moment as he cleared his throat.

“It was a demon.”

“Of-fucking-course it was.” Changbin threw his arms in the air, exasperated comment reflecting both Chan and Jeongin’s thoughts. While the three had stems of scepticism, they still listened intently.

“Okay but... why though?” Woojin probed further. It may have seemed like a stretch but in the current state of things, anything’s possible.

It’s not like it was this realms first demonic attack; scattered happenings have been documented in their lifetimes which is why they were inclined to believe the blond boy who seemed to appear out of nowhere. It’s also why Woojin was a little surprised to see the vampires of all people react in the way they had.

Regardless of the internal debate it sparked in each member of the circle, they listened to what Hyunjin had to say. He explained slowly, brow furrowed as he pitched all he knew the best he could. “All I know is that they’re trying to pull off some ritual.. They’re like an, I don't know, an underworld worshipping cult or some shit.”

“Yo, what? Where do I join–”

“No they’re like, after our power or some shit; It's messed up.” He finished with one hand to the side of his face. Obviously this was the biggest scare, all clearly going to be against that ever coming to be. 

“Woah hold up, you should have started with that.” Chan flailed his hands about to pause the conversation. “After our power?”

Hyunjin nodded, continuing his explanation. “Yeah, from what I've seen and heard, the ritual is to rid the human world of its supernatural beings. I’m not all that sure what they need, that's what I’ve been trying to figure out.”

Hums and nods came about from the information while each had their own thoughts and opinions. It sounded as though the blond was well educated on the subject, an indication that his comment on the ‘past couple decades’ was no exaggeration.

“And that's where we come in?” Seungmin asked, intrigued to combat whatever may be to come.

Hyunjin shook his head at the boys question. “ _ No _ , that's where  _ he  _ comes in.”

The blond nodded to the cross legged boy on the rug beside the redhead, feeling a sense of remorse at his confused and fearful look. Jisung fiddled with the necklace around his neck, a habit of his when he was nervous. He looked back up to Hyunjin, wanting to question everything.

“I-I didn't do anything though, why me?” He stuttered out, feeling the grip on his shoulder as comforting. Hyunjin smiled softly at the question, beginning to feel bad for dragging them all into his unnerving world.

“Well, if we find the answer to that, then we can make sure you’re safe, and I’ll be one step closer to stopping these fuckers before there's no one left to do it.” His remark came off as a stamp of determination, though his confidence was more of a front.

Jeongin tapped the blond on the shoulder, his attention turning to the vampire. “So does it affect the basic bitches too?”

His phrasing earned a slap in the knee from Woojin, as well as snickers from others, though it was a reasonable question. It made Hyunjin chuckle also before he responded, “Well, the whole point is to rule over and enslave humanity, or whatever I guess. They do call themselves the ‘sublime rulers’ which is a pretty good indication.”

“Modesty much.” Minho muttered.

Woojin couldn't help but voice his worry, now more than ever concerned for all of their wellbeing. “I don't like this. So we’re just supposed to sit here when those whatever-the-fucks could come back?”

Hyunjin shook his head, batting a hand toward the other to give his worry no reason to be. “I’m almost certain they won't be back for a while. In the time I've been watching, they’ll usually lay low for a while.” This gave the room some relief, only to be squashed again after his brief pause for thought. “Oh, wait, there was that one time—”

“You’re not filling me with too much confidence here.”

“Oh, it'll be fine that was like, two and a half centuries ago.” Hyunjin tutted, readjusting his seating to be a little more comfortable. As he did so, he didn't notice a couple astonished stares in his direction.

Of course, Jeongin had to be the first to voice with a mischievous smirk in the direction of said male, “Damn, you’re even older than  _ Changbin _ ?” 

“That felt like a diss—” Changbin shot a glare at the younger.

Chuckling at their antics, Hyunjin simply shrugged. “Honestly, I don't know how old I am. I lost count in the 1400’s.”

His nonchalant comment sparked even more surprised and taken aback gazes. Already revving up more humorous comments, Jeongin was beaten to the punch by a wide eyed Jisung, chiming in with his own.

“That's like, older than time itself—”

His remark earned him a tap on the head from the brunette behind him, while Woojin managed to hold back his snigger enough to say a quick, “Don't be so rude.”

The blond at the center of the teases seemed the least bothered, even laughing with a nod of agreement. “Feels like it kid, it's like it was just yesterday that I was watching the Palace of Versailles go up.” He grinned at the memory, everyone's fascinated attention making him feel like some sort of wise deity to look up to. That is, until he recalled the rest of the memory, “I mean, it wasn't my favourite day of all time, got arrested for trying to climb it... but it was still pretty cool.”

All chuckled at the story, all but Chan who paused for a brief second, coming to a revelation. His sudden exclaimed outburst startled the boy beside him, “Wait, that was you?!”

“Yeah man, hella fun.” Hyunjin replied, still grinning to himself at the thought of his passed antics. The memories of balancing along the roofing, perching on the tallest point, being yelled at by police, being shot at later when he refused to get down…  _ good times. _

Chan on the other hand, he remembered seeing the aftermath, the prints in the newspapers of both the story and the arrest, now getting excited all over again. “I remember seeing that! I was tempted to try the same shit but I’d just left France.”

Hyunjin noticed the younger’s disappointed tone and decided that it needed to be changed. “Oh hell yeah, let's do it again one day, it's such a sick view.” He gushed over the thought, high fiving the oldest vampire as a stamp of confirmation. Their little moment was soon interrupted however by Minho laying down some sense of reality.

“Chan, in case you’ve forgotten, you guys literally can’t show your faces to the public unless you want to be thrown in prison again.” He stated, giving a tight lipped grin with his half nod. The blond frowned at the news, muttering a _buzz_ _kill_ under his breath but secretly planning to do it anyway.

“Aw no we’ve gotta!” Hyunjin protested, aimed this time at the whole group. “I was gonna hit the Statue of Liberty a few decades ago but… Kinda got held up by a demon quest.” He said with an over exaggerated shrug, knowing that it really didn't matter; he’d continue his monument quest one day.

“Speaking of which,” Jeongin decided to bring the subject back to it's origin. “Did you uh, did you want help with this demon quest?” His pitch got incrementally higher with his words, well aware that it was a stretch of a question. A stretch not necessarily to Hyunjin’s permission, but to the ones within the circle who are a whole lot more concerned of their wellbeing.

“Um, I think not child.” _and_ _there it is_ , Jeongin concluded as Woojin cleared up his views to no surprise to the vampire. However, what did come as a surprise, was the backup he received.

“Why! It sounds like fun!” Seungmin piped up, a grin on his face as Woojin shot him a glare that clearly stated _don’t_ _you_ _dare_.

“No, it sounds dangerous.” Minho reiterated for the older sorcerer, being on the same page as far as danger was concerned.

“I agree,” Jisung nodded into the debate. His opinion was met with positive reactions from the older sorcerers; that is, until he clarified, “I want to beat up demons.”

Their expressions dropped instantly, while the rest of the group were also a little surprised that he would be in for it considering he was both at highest risk and most reserved. Regardless, Jeongin used it to his advantage, exclaiming a  _ ‘See!’ _ as if it validated everything.

At this point, Hyunjin felt as though he was at fault for making them feel obligated to join him, to which he clarified, “Oh, don't feel pressured to get involved, I wouldn't want you getting hurt because of me,” That being said, he gave it a few seconds before leaning into Changbin’s side. “Although, it  _ is _ pretty fun.”

“Okay, those in favour of joining my new role model on this dope quest.” Jeongin raised his hand to start a poll, Seungmin, Chan, Jisung and Changbin following in said order though Changbin sat indecisive. Clearly outnumbered, Minho and Woojin exchanged glances, just to confirm that they were in fact the only two with a sense of danger.

As the poll commenced, the purring animal on Hyunjin’s lap rose from it's sleeping state, pawing at the blond’s shirt. Chan used it to their advantage, chuckling as he suggested, “Even Bandit wants in!”

Changbin felt the looks of betrayal Jeongin and Chan were shooting him when his hand lowered, heaving out a sigh. “I mean, I’d be more open to the idea if I got some fucking food.”

“There’s barbecue ribs in the fridge—” Seungmin pitched, only to be shot down.

“No, like,  _ real  _ food.” He reiterated, fighting the urge to grab the feline that was meant to fill his stomach all those days ago.

As if on cue, the youngest vampire’s stomach growled over the pause of conversation. He licked his lips at the thought the other had put into his head, “I’m getting kinda hungry too.”

As the pair complained about their lack of food, Chan joining in to no surprise, it sparked a thought in the redheads mind. He’d read up on some ‘supernatural dark web’ of a replica substance for the three after worrying that they’d eventually starve. He was sceptical of it's authenticity but at this point, there would be little harm in trying.

“I meant to ask, have you guys tried coconut milk?” Seungmin pitched, earning odd looks from the group. He worried for a moment that he’d be called out for being stupid, them most likely already trying such a simple and obvious remedy.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Changbin asked, the blank expression he sported matched by the other two.

_ Or _ they’d just never thought about finding simple alternatives;  _ they _ were the stupids.

While no one else seemed to have a clue what he was getting at, Hyunjin seemed to catch on immediately. “Oh, that's a good point. Coconut milk can be used in emergency blood transfusions, my buddy used to drink it, said it works pretty well. Especially fresh.” Suddenly the redhead felt pretty proud of himself for being on a knowledge field along with the guy who may as well have met a dinosaur. In comparison to his own years anyway.

They thought for a moment, coming to a conclusion that it could be a good idea. As if children confirming with their mother, all three simultaneously turned to Woojin as a silent question. The sorcerer caught their drift, waving them off to continue the conversation. “I’ll get you some later.”

“I can't wait until later! I'm so hungry—” Silence didn't bode well with them, Jeongin of course shattering the pause at the sound of his plea not being immediately met. He was more of a child than the actual child.

“Guys, there are more pressing matters here than your stomachs.” Woojin tried again to dismiss them, massaging a temple to cope with everything that had been laid on him over the span of a few minutes. Their incessant whining for him to do something about their supposed ‘dire problem’ was quick to crash and burn his wall of dismissal. There was a reason he never had kids, and this? This was a glimpse of it.

As their whining continued, he gave a side glance to Minho who simply shrugged at him while being silently glad that Jisung had been less of a pain to deal with. His weary focus landed itself upon their new arrival after receiving no input from the other sorcerer, almost apologetic for the three he was surrounded by. Hyunjin mirrored Minho’s shrug, “Oh no, don't let me stop you.”

“I’m so sorry.” Woojin sighed, rising from the floor. He grabbed his spellbook—more beckoned it to his hand from across the room with a lazy display of his power—and flipped to the page he needed. The portal spell they’d used to evade authorities in their apartment all that time ago became apparent to be of use, so the male had practised with it in his spare time. Now mastering the spell to a degree, he could pick precise locations rather than just general areas.

He cast the spell effortlessly, the only exhaustion coming to him from having to deal with the three he was doing it for. The gold ring he cast expanded to a portal, displaying a tropical location on the other side ready for someone to hop through. Jeongin launched to his feet and jumped through in the blink of an eye, disappearing out of view to grab their snacks.

“Oh!” Jisung squeaked at seeing the ring, getting up to follow the youngest vampire on his minor expedition.

Seeing the boy head for the portal, Chan attempted to grab the younger before he could, only to miss by an inch. “Jisung—”

Jisung passed through, ignoring the calls of his name as he wandered onto the sand the other side. Since he stayed in view, the group gathered that Jisung was watching Jeongin with wherever he went while he giggled to himself.

However, his smile was quick to drop at the angered yell that followed his hurried jump back through. Hearing the call made Woojin cringe, realising now that he’d conjured up his portal in a public space which could end badly of course.

Luckily for them, Jeongin appeared back in view with an excessive amount of coconuts in the nick of time, their means of travel clearly being noticed by passersby. He practically threw himself back through to the living room, toppling to the rug with their snacks strewn all over the place.

Woojin closed up the portal as quickly as it was opened, a sigh of relief following his actions. Jeongin got up from the carpet without another word and scrambled his way to the kitchen, coconut in hand and ready to dig for a utensil to puncture it with both Changbin and Chan closely following.

In the frenzy, the redhead sorcerer turned his attention to a lightly panting Jisung, a wide grin on the youngers face. His smile quickly faded upon noticing the looks he was receiving from the rest of the room, each stare reading something akin to _‘what the fuck did you do that_ _for_?’ from his perspective. Before they could ask the question themselves, Jisung justified his actions with a shy excuse, “I wanted the teleport…”

“Yeah, well, you aren't going anywhere now we know there's a demon organisation after you.” Minho retorted, grabbing the back of the boy’s shirt so he would perch himself on the arm of the chair the older sat in.

Jisung pouted slightly but saw the logic, “Fair.”

The five returned to their seats as the vampire trio made their way back from the kitchen. Both Chanbin and Jeongin sipped at the contents of their coconuts though nicely knife pierced holes in the shell, while Chan had clearly gotten impatient, him following behind with both fangs present and stuck into the thick layer. It seemed to work however, the blond slurping away at its contents at twice the speed.

“So what's the verdict?” Minho asked, though it was soon to be seen as a pointless question. Empty shells were quickly thrown to the floor and another three from the half dozen that were left on the floor were distributed.

“My vote is indefinitely with Hyunjin and his fun demon quest.” Changbin took a breather from eating his snack, breaths quickened at the lack of oxygen while he’d been doing so. He lifted his head to meet eyes with the onlookers.

“Does no one have a sense of danger?” Woojin tossed his arms around at the realisation he was against the majority. Though he was still concerned about the dangers, he ultimately gave in to the majority vote. “ah, fuck it.”

It felt like a bad idea, but hey, where’s the fun in taking the safe route? The only other member of the group with any visible signs of concern was Minho, though his worries seemed to be squashed by the bright and enthusiastic smiles surrounding him which brought upon his own.

“Did we just form a demon fighting squad?” Seungmin asked, the sentence sounding utterly ridiculous but somehow made sense.

“Not really, probably more of a friend circle who just so happen to be doing something productive for once in their lives.” Chan said between sips of coconut, gaining laughs and agreement from the rest.

Hyunjin cocked his head to the side, a small but genuine smile growing, “Friends? I haven't had those since Vlad the Impaler murdered my last three.”

“Jesus, okay uh,” Changbin spluttered, the blond clearly didn't see how morbid his comment was. Tossing his second coconut shell to the side, the vampire clasped his hands together, “I guess that settles it then.”

All hummed or nodded agreements. Full from their brief meal, Jeongin yawned with a stretch, a post-meal haze brimming. Woojin heaved himself up from his seat, performing a stretch of his own. He let out a weary sigh before he stated, “And now that it is, I think we could all do with a good night's rest.”

“Hyunjin, are you okay with the couch?” Minho asked, nudging Jisung toward the stairs. He felt a little guilty for leaving their guest on the couch, but he couldn't exactly do anything about the lack of space. People were already doubling up; the house was big, but not  _ that _ big.

“Literally anything is fine with me.” Hyunjin reassured, pushing himself further back into the cushions. As he did so, the affectionate feline hopped up onto his lap once again, purring away. The blond boy grinned down at the animal, “Besides, Bandit will keep me company, right little guy?”

His petting of the animal was more awkward for him than it should have been, his left hand running down the cat's back while he let his right arm lay limp to his side. The rest of the group cleared out, leaving Minho to make sure Hyunjin had whatever he would need. Handing him the blanket that previously hung over the back of the armchair, Minho couldn't help his curiosity, gesturing to his right arm; or lack thereof. “How long's it gonna take before that arm comes back?”

“It’ll be fine by morning.” Hyunjin waved him off with his left, taking the blanket and finally laying the length of the couch to stretch out. He examined his limb, holding it up in the air above his face. “Maybe a little numb but it’ll be there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I thought I was a chapter ahead of what we are so im a little excited for the next one
> 
> After 15 its all go we getting down and dirty lads


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you people are too fuckin smart  
> my sneaky attempts were futile

Even the dimmest of the settings on the living room light didn’t save Chan’s sleep lacking eyes as they were blinded by the sudden brightness. It was far too dark in the room with them off, but way too bright for his taste with them on. He used his forearm to shield his eyes as they adjusted, shuffling through the room towards the kitchen since the quiet rattles from the area were the reason he was there in the first place.

Since he and Jeongin were sharing a room, the pair had heard the noise late into the night and decided to play a game of rock-paper-scissors to pick who would be the one to investigate. Of course, Chan lost, though he wasn’t overly bothered by his fate since it was likely one of the others treating themselves to a midnight snack. So now, weary feet dragging, he forced himself to the scene of the crime to confirm his suspicion.

“Dude, it's three in the morning, is now  _ really  _ the time to—” He question came out as more of a whine in complaint of how late it was, though cut himself off once his eyes fell on the boy rifling through the fridge, fruits in one hand, a plate of leftovers in the other and a cheese stick hanging between his teeth. He looked like a rabbit in headlights, caught red-handed in his thievery; although that not being the part that stopped the vampire in his tracks.

The part that caught him off guard was the unfamiliar face staring back at him, panicked stance clad in a simple white shirt and black shorts, subtly orange-tinted hair falling in his eyes. The plastic-wrapped food fell from his teeth in the moment of shock, trying to hold a hand out towards the blond in hopes of reassurance. “Don't freak out—”

“Who the  _ fuck  _ are you?!” Chan broke from his shocked state, now more aggressive in his approach as he subconsciously positioned himself between the intruder and access to the staircase. Now his full attention was on the other male, he noticed a faint glowing aura around the other, similar to the effect Woojin or Minho’s spells gave off after being used. Assuming that the intruder was a fellow supernatural, he wasted no time in extending his fangs which seemed to work in his favour.

“Bro I-I said don't..” The presumably young male was visibly nervous, accidentally dropping a fruit as he held his hands up has a half attempt to defend himself. He took a step back at the impact of the fruit with the floor, it smashing across the floor tiles.

Clearly hearing the commotion and feeling guilty to subjecting the older to it by himself, Jeongin showed himself at the bottom of the stairs, automatically taking a cautious stance at the sight of a stranger.

“Is that our cherimoya? Do you know how much they cost?!” The blond raised his voice upon watching the fruit splatter, only noticing Jeongin’s presence when he heard his small snicker from behind, presumably at his overreaction.

The raise in his voice caused the unknown boy to flinch a little, trying to hold his nerve but ultimately failing to shelter it from the vampires. “I know, I'm sorry— just—”

Chan’s patience was wearing thin, hearing footsteps upstairs made him incredibly conscious of how loud he was being. “I'm going to need an explanation real fucking soon, kid.” His voice lowered, seeing a stir on the couch from the corner of his eye. It was a mystery how Hyunjin had managed to stay asleep this long, though that wasn’t going to last much longer.

“Chan, what's going on? Do you have to be so loud?” Minho had quite obviously heard the racket, him and Jisung standing at the bottom of the staircase. Aside from Jisung hiding behind Jeongin, the group were quite obviously wary of the boy who had carefully placed the food he’d taken on the counter, freeing his hands for any defence of himself he was concerned he’d have to do. Minho raised an eyebrow, lesser on the cautious side and more utterly confused, “Why is there a child in our fridge?”

His comment caused the intruder to furrow his brow, dropping his tense position to glare at the sorcerer. “I'm not a child—”

“No, you don't get to correct anything, you are a trespasser and a thief.” Chan concluded, cutting the boy off. His words triggered his next thought, lowering his raised hands. “Wait, how did you even get in here?”

The boy appeared to hesitate at the question, right hand falling to scratch behind his neck. “See… That's the thing…” Before he could finish, however, another heavy set of footsteps trudged reluctantly down the stairs.

“I told the other two not to bother but, I might as well join the party— who is—” Changbin slowed to a halt as he reached the base of the stairs, seeing four of his friends circling an unfamiliar boy in their kitchen while a fifth watched with sleepy eyes from the couch. His half-a-question wasn’t specific for one of them, more just a mumble in the moment.

“Yeah, we were getting to that.” Jeongin threw the comment over his shoulder, still defensive since he had Jisung using him as a shield. As the vampire turned his head to address Changbin, it gave the boy behind him a full view of his fangs which wasn’t overly comforting for the younger. The hiding boy tugged at the youngest vampire’s shirt to gain his attention which seemed to work.

“Can you put those away? They’re scary…” Jisung aimed his request between both Jeongin and Chan, pointing to his own canines with a small tap to the teeth. Of course, they complied, not having the heart to deny him as well as practically feeling Minho’s glare burning through them. Chan regained his focus after retracting his fangs, Minho to one side, Jeongin and Jisung to the other, Changbin behind them leaned way too nonchalantly against the wall and Hyunjin still on the couch, though he'd likely fallen back to sleep judging by his silence.

Observations were interrupted by the boy in front of them all, jutting a finger towards the blond and increasingly impatient vampire while addressing Jisung, “Right? Thought he was gonna have me for a minute there.”

“I wouldn't put it past him,” Minho butted in, chuckling while throwing Chan a side glance which the older took as permission if anything were to go south. “They haven't eaten in a while..”

“Who are you?” Changbin finally stepped forwards, arms still crossed over his chest with not even half the care the rest had. He quirked a brow to prompt when the boy took a few moments to respond, humming as a half-assed attempt to stall while he came up with a viable answer.

He finally began to form a sentence after taking a step from the counter, clasping his palms together. The male exchanged looks with each person present while he gave his attempt at an explanation. “Well, uh, we haven't formally met but you may know me better as, um—”  

Just before he could complete his sentence, a cloud of teal-infused grey shielded him from the group's view, slowly dissipating to reveal the boy no longer present, a certain ginger animal taking his place. The cat had the same glowing aura around him as Chan had noticed on the boy before, it clearly induced by the vapours caused moments ago.

“What the fuck.” Was the only thing to be voiced, coming from a now alert Hyunjin staring wide-eyed over the back of the couch. After a few long moments of their gawking, what they knew as Bandit morphed with a lesser volume of mist back to the figure of the boy, a sheepish smile on his face.

“Yeah…” He trailed after his onlookers stayed silent. The boy noticed a few looks of slight disheartenment, presumably at the fact that their furry friend wasn’t what they thought. He shrugged, taking a step forward, “I like Bandit though, I'm chill to just like,” as quickly as before, Bandit sat in front of them once again, enlarged eyes staring back at them.

Minho dropped his defensive act, arms falling crossed over his chest as he positioned himself directly in front of the feline form. “Um, I don't think so,” He flicked his fingers in the direction of the fridge door the male had left open all this time, using a brief demonstration of power to close it. “Get up.” He said as if speaking to a child who’d just done the stupidest thing imaginable. 

He followed orders, shifting himself back to human for the second time. Upon being face to face with the other, Minho straightened his back, not liking how little height difference he held over the boy since he appeared so much smaller moments ago.

“So Bandit was you the whole time? Dude…” Changbin piped up from the back, face scrunched up a little as he directed his accusations. “You slept on my lap!”

“Yeah, well, in my defence, you seemed like you would've been most likely to eat me so I had to make you like me.” The presumably younger retorted, defending his actions.

“Yeah, that's fair enough.” Changbin nodded, a fairly valid point.

Amusement from the comments was squashed once again by Chan’s questioning, “Why didn't you just tell us when we found you in that alley!”

The off-blond boy spluttered over his words for a second before coming back, “Because I wanna be off the streets! I wanted some good food for once so I thought  _ hey maybe these bozos will take me somewhere with food _ , not take me somewhere to  _ be  _ food.” Aside from the insults, both Changbin and Chan saw the logic. “So, after this one stopped me from being eaten, thanks for that by the way,” He tilted his head in Minho’s direction, receiving a brief nod as if to say  _ it's all good,  _ “I thought I may as well keep it up. Then the cat food happened… So uh, fridge raiding under the cover of night was my new plan.” He returned to the dish left out on the counter, shovelling a finger full of food into his mouth.

Jeongin hissed at his action, startling both his intended target and the still minimally quivering boy behind him. “Quit eating my leftovers, and we may be able to sort something out!” He didn't really know if  _ something _ could or would even be sorted, but hey, his food was at stake.

“Fuck this, I'm tired. Okay, you seem like a nice kid and all but can we  _ please _ talk about this in the morning?” Minho interjected before yawning into his arm. He began his trudge back to the stairs, holding out a hand which Jisung happily latched onto, being infected by Minho’s yawn.

“Talk about..?” Jeongin asked, pitching himself the idea that  _ something _ would indeed be sorted.

The sorcerer stopped to reply, letting Chan and Changbin weave past him back to bed. “Whether or not Bandit gets to stay.”

“Um, my name's not Bandit…” The boy responded, sneaking another mouthful of food from the now room temperature plate. It would certainly be going in the bin.

His reply caught him off guard, forgetting that the kid would actually have  _ his own name.  _ “Oh yeah, sorry kid, and it is..?”

“Felix.”

“Hah! You have more of a cat name than your cat name!” Hyunjin pointed, still in his blanket clad position, cracking a laugh at the boy’s expense.

Felix shot the older a glare, “Shut it, newbie.”

“Bitch, you’re the fresh meat now.” He retorted, readying himself to go back to sleep.

His phrasing creeped the blond boy out, what with his history of appearance, “Okay, first of all, ‘fresh meat’ is a sensitive topic—”

“ _ Technically _ he was here first…” Minho cut him off, still standing by the stairs to wait for jeongin to follow up to bed. Jisung giggled at the mockingly offended look on Hyunjin’s face, more so at their bickering to come.

“Therefore, I have priority housing over you.” Felix gave a smug look, knowing that wouldn’t be true but he just wanted to come out on top.

“Oh, it's a contest now? I just got a comfortable place to sleep for the first time in centuries and you’re about to come at me for it?”

“If I have to—”

“Okay that's unnecessary, please shut up.” Jeongin was about to jump into the argument, though was quickly stopped by Minho’s grip on his forearm, spinning him towards the stairs.

“ _ I said, _ ” He emphasised at the youngest vampire, wishing Woojin had joined the group to keep his blood-sucking children under control. He sighed to himself, “Go the fuck to bed, we’ll sort this in the morning.” Jeongin almost got away before the sorcerer placed a palm on the back of his head, eyes glowing a little as he shrouded the male’s skull with red clouds, performing the mind intruding side of his power. “ _ Bed. _ ”

“Yep, you got it.” the vampire agreed almost immediately, climbing the stairs with no protest. Minho didn't tend to use that power often, but it didn’t hurt to show it off once in a while to save a hassle.

“What are we? Some sort of freaky homeless shelter?” He mumbled to Jisung who still gripped his hand, his glitching a little more prominent as a side effect of sleep deprivation. 

“Pretty much.” the younger agreed, grinning with heavy eyelids.

The two proceeded to bed, but not before hearing more bickering from the two condemned to the living room.

“Um, who said you get my couch?”

“Well, where else am I meant to sleep?”

“They bought that cat bed, you can bloody well use it!”

“Fine..”

* * *

 

Relatively well-rested, the rapidly expanding group of nine gathered in their usual communal point; scattered on the couch and rug. Both Seungmin and Woojin had been filled in on the previous night’s events, not in the least bit worried while they rested up. Chan sat in his usual centre spot on the couch, Hyunjin and Woojin to one side, the younger vampires to his other. Surprisingly enough, Minho allowed Seungmin to take his beloved armchair while he, Jisung and the newcomer sat dispersed on the rug.

“Right, what are our opinions about the child?” Chan asked, clasping his hands together to begin the discussion. All thought for a moment or two while  _ the child _ furrowed his brow as he’d done the first time he’d corrected the statement.

“Dude, I’m Twenty—”

“I think he’s chill.” Seungmin commented, continuing the conversation as if it wasn't happening directly in front of the male in question. The grin the redhead followed with as his eye fell to Felix caused a smile of his own, Seungmin’s bright attitude being quite infectious.

Changbin recalled their attention, “He may be chill, but he’s also an intruder.” He pointed out.

His point, however, didn’t seem valid to Felix in the slightest and felt the need to defend himself again. He rose his hand this time though it did nothing to help his case. “Actually, you brought me here—”

“Not now, the adults are talking.” Woojin gave him a soft look, somewhat understanding yet shooting him down all the same. Immediately the rest returned to the discussion and left the boy to just watch on and wait for their verdict. He didn't realise his hand was still in the air until he felt a gentle grip to his elbow, pulling it down slowly. The blond-haired boy twisted his attention to Jisung who sat beside him, the glitching boy leaning into his ear.

“You get used to it.”

After a few more minutes of back and forth between themselves, Seungmin decided to direct the conversation back to involve the subject of the matter. “So you’re a shapeshifter then? That could be helpful to be fair…” He trailed, the question to the younger being more of a confirming statement.

“Helpful?” Woojin queried, raising his brow when the youngest vampire rolled his eyes with a sound that would resemble a scoff.

“Uh hello? Demon vanquishing? Does no one remember why Hyunjin is even here?” Jeongin retorted, receiving nods of agreement as their memories were jogged of their newfound ‘quest’ as they’d come to refer to it as. The mention of their new adventure seemed to trigger something in Felix’s memory,   


“Oh shit, that's what I need to tell you all! That demon thing? Yeah, I’ve seen the ritual thing.” Felix forced is voice into the conversation, regardless of their previous attempts to silence him. His statement caught him instant attention, some reactions being of fear, others confusion. It was hard for him to gauge whether it was a good idea to tell them at all.

Woojin contorted his expression to one of sceptical confusion. “The fuck, how?” He questioned, the others wanting the answer also. Felix sucked in a breath through his teeth, a dry chuckle catching the back of his throat at the thought.

“Might have accidentally robbed them of an artefact to sell it and almost got killed when they took it back.” the blond on the floor unfolded his crossed legs, stretching out with his palms to the floor holding his torso upright. He tipped his head to the side as he reminisced with a tight-lipped expression.

“That's fucking cool.” Changbin muttered, gaining odd looks from the group. For the most part, they all came to the conclusion that the shapeshifting boy didn't have much regard for his own safety. Both Minho and Woojin felt the possibility of their responsibility broadening to another reckless and daring child in the near future.

“It was…”  Felix confirmed. He would have adorned a grin at the vampire, yet another thought struck his mind. The blond turned to his side to be met with a bright smile that slowly melted away at the mention of his name. “But, that thing around Jisung’s neck… it's one of them.”

Felix reached out for the trinket hanging comfortably around Jisung’s neck, the younger allowing him to inspect it while the space fell silent. The bronze, cage-like casing surrounding the jade stone acted as some sort of protection to the enclosed item. Upon closer inspection, the jade stone appeared shaped, engraved with intricate details of unfamiliar looking digits and characters on tiles; like a miniature ancient tablet.   


“It’s  _ what? _ ” Jeongin suddenly broke the silence, jaw a little clenched at the worrying new information.

Felix sighed, looking and feeling guilty for not telling them sooner, or for telling them at all even though it needed to be made known. He continued with a little hesitance to their reactions, “From what I saw, it's an artefact for their ritual thing. Fuck knows what they're for or how many there are, but that's one of them.” He finished, lifting his gaze to gauge their reactions. To his surprise, he found none of the expected hostility.

Though Jisung looked rightfully afraid, nervous eyes flicking between the item around his neck and the older sorcerer beside him, the rest appeared contemplative more than anything. Of course, a collective concern filled the room, but the reaction to follow was less than anticipated.

“Fuck, well, I guess you’re staying then.” Woojin sat up while looking Felix over a time or two, palms dragging along his own thighs. A couple of nods of agreement and hums resonated for Felix to take as some sort of welcome, yet he still couldn't rid his confusion.

“I am?” he questioned, mainly projected at Woojin yet was open to any sort of confirmation. This sudden invite to stay came as a shock considering Felix had expected to be kicked out immediately regarding the whole ‘posing as a cat’ fiasco.

Minho gave him the assurance he’d wanted, “The more we know about this stuff the better, so yeah. I mean, up to you I guess, but like...” He trailed off, briefly giving Hyunjin a glance as if to make sure he of all people could vouch that none of what the blond was spewing was bullshit.

“If you do stay, just bear in mind that six out of eight of us have some variation of an international arrest warrant.” Changbin decided to preface since Jisung and Minho were technically the only ones present who were off the radar.

“Actually, mines execution but like, we know how that’ll go.” Hyunjin corrected, leaving a few questionable expressions.

Felix however, seemed unbothered by the information, if anything a little relief doused his features. He waved them off, “Oh, me too, it's cool.”

Exasperation was the only thing Minho could muster at the news, throwing an arm about for emphasis. “Oh fan-fucking-tastic, what did  _ you  _ do?”

“Slapped thirteen different political leaders.” The shapeshifter said with a sly smirk, mentally listing them all with too much pride. He could remember every single incident crystal clear; the easiest to execute, the hardest slap, the longest prison sentence he was condemned with.

“Why?” Jisung questioned with a giggle, of course finding the idea of this guy smacking presidents across the face just about the funniest thing ever. What would make it even more comedic, however, would be knowing the reason why.

Hearing the youngers words, Felix jumped to his feet with the biggest shit-eating grin anyone could ever muster. “So I can do this—”   


Within a second and a grey smokey puff, Felix shifted his form multiple times, posing each time he formed as a different person. Vladimir Putin, Yulia Tymoshenko, Joe Biden for one reason or another, all taking form in the middle of their living room as Felix demonstrated the extent of his ability. Presumably from this display, all he had to do was touch someone/thing to be able to take their form. It was rather impressive.

“Oh, this could be  _ really _ useful.” Seungmin piped up, devious grin implying his thoughts.

Felix returned to himself, sitting down with a sigh, “I have Prince William too but his hairline scares me.” He shrugged, seeing the majority with entertained smiles or quietly giggling. With this newfound joy he brought them, he decided to push his luck.

“ _ Now  _ do I get some variation of furniture?” He questioned, looking at Minho with expectancy. Trying to persuade any of the others would have been easier, but the deciding vote would always come from the sorcerer; it was his house after all.

“Nope. Cat bed.” Minho replied bluntly, gesturing to the small pillowed basket in the corner.

“What! Why!” Felix protested, turning to Chan for some backup since he felt as though the older would have his back.

To his dismay, Chan had to agree with the stern brunette. “Because you deceived us for three fucking weeks so that is your punishment.”   
_ Okay, fair enough,  _ Felix could only think as the group began to disperse. However, by the time night fell, they’d be none the wiser where he ended up.  _ Game on. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 9/9 game motherfuckin' ON


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested, a recap;  
> Chan - Vampire, 494 (1524)  
> Woojin - General Witchcraft, 135 (1883)  
> Minho - Reality and Mental Manipulation, 22 (1996)  
> Changbin - Vampire, 213 (1805)  
> Hyunjin - Regenerative, ???  
> Jisung - Teleportation, 18 (2000)  
> Felix - Shapeshifter, 20 (1998)  
> Seungmin - Elemental Manipulation and Fabrication, 20 (1998)  
> Jeongin - Vampire, 96 (1922)
> 
> Hope that helps lol  
> Also *not* proofread so uh yikes

Ever since Felix had unintentionally revealed himself and gifted the group with a little more knowledge than they would have liked, the nine hadn’t had much of a break from investigation. They needed answers; and answers they would get. No matter how long it took.

Around midday on their fourth day of digging was the border of a breaking point, insanity slowly creeping in. Moral was slowly seeping away while their teams of three dragged themselves through endless studies.

Chan, Woojin and Hyunjin sat at the dining table, though the table itself was barely visible what with papers and books strewn all over the place in organised chaos. Woojin hovered papers to his side, occasionally switching one out for another to read over again and again, creating trails of shimmering gold to swirl around him in the pages travels. Hyunjin also assisted, conferring with the older here and there on any information he may have seen as a possible help. He flicked through old mythics books they unburied from Woojins minimal pile of spell books, though nothing had turned out of use. Speaking of use, Chan was none at all. He’d given up a while ago, slumped down in his chair so far that his legs rested on the chair on the opposite side of the table. The vampire simply slouched with his chin rested on the table edge, pretending he was reading things he’d already read one hundred times.

Across the room all huddled around a laptop on the floor, sat Felix, Changbin and Minho. The three had discovered a side to the web that held a vast quantity of information unbeknownst to any single book, revealing the mysteries of the realm that many could never comprehend. Wikipedia was a gem even to the highest of powers. Felix and Changbin scrolled through pages upon pages of anything relating to any sort of item remotely similar to Jisung’s artefact. Meanwhile, Minho projected images that popped up claiming to be what they were looking for into the room, spinning the three-dimensional, holographic-like image to study and compare.

Probably the most productive team of the room, Jeongin, Seungmin and Jisung sprawled themselves on the couch. Jisung lay outstretched across the cushions of the sofa, merely keeping himself entertained while the pair over him studied the item he refused to remove from his neck. Jeongin held the caged jade tablet in one hand while using his other to copy down the engravings on it, larger and easier to see for the rest of the group without enhanced vision. While he did so, Seungmin did his best to reverse the corrosion that had eaten away at both the metal and the gem, a newfound skill he developed in his recent practise of his ability.

“Ugh, the WiFi is fucking up again!” Felix repeatedly spammed the trackpad with aggressive taps even though it would do nothing at all to help. The device was just slow, but it wouldn't stop his impatient self from clicking the refresh button over and over. He only stopped when Changbin pulled his hand away from the device, finding it funny how the younger, supposedly more ‘tech savvy’ one of the two was about to lose his mind over some sluggish connection.

Before the blond could whine any more, Minho retracted his projection of yet another irrelevant image with a sigh. Aiming at the WiFi router located on a shelf not too far away, Minho fired a quick burst of red energy at the device, instantly making its flashing light turn a solid colour. To both Felix and Changbin’s surprise, their webpage reloaded and connection returned to full speed. The shapeshifter continued cycling webpages with a quick thank you.

“Yeah, it goes out all the time, just gotta give the router a little juice.” Minho chuckled, returning to his inspections. The vampire beside him contorted a brief confused look, wondering more than anything how the brunette figured out he could do that in the first place.

Distracted by the three’s chatter, Chan spun around in his chair to call to the group. “Have you found anything?”

Changbin sighed, “No… just some bullshit sites.” He knelt up on his knees just to crack his back, stretching while observing the search at the table. He could tell both Hyunjin and Woojin were still slaving away, unlike Chan, so directed his question more at them than the older blond. “Have you guys?”

Woojin didn't even look up, brow still creased at the centre as he concentrated so Hyunjin answered instead. “Not a whole lot, there’s something about some Mongolian priest extracting power as a ‘cure’, but nothing about ancient artefacts and underworldly rituals.” He air quoted and twitched his head to the side. The only information about anything remotely similar was a little bit of a worrying topic to say the least. Though it was—and likely still is—common practise for people to attempt to ‘cure’ the supernatural elements of a person through whatever means they deemed effective. 

“Gee I wonder why.” Minho scoffed, not very surprised by the outcome considering their last few days of searching. That and the fact that it wasn’t exactly a common topic. 

Chan however, most likely just slow from being tired and hungry, didn’t quite get the memo. “...Why?”

“Because it sounds insane!” He exclaimed, flinging a hand in exaggerated movements and accidentally firing a red stream of mist at the light fixture in the room, blowing a bulb. His eyes widened for a moment, surprising himself at the mistake while also cursing himself since he’d have to change it. Regardless, Hyunjin directed the conversation elsewhere.

“How are we doing on the necklace?” He asked towards the three on the couch who’d been refreshingly silent for the past hour or so. Seungmin continued his cleaning of the item, lips in a tight line as he concentrated. Jeongin’s focused expression was almost the opposite, jaw falling open just a tad as he copied out markings. Jisung couldn’t be less interested, fiddling with the buttons on Seungmin’s shirt.

“Could be worse, could be better.” The redhead hummed, pleased with his job of reversing any drastically visible signs of aging on the artefact. It now appeared with a lot more of a shine to the metal as well as chips out of the stone itself a little less severe. His discovery of being able to manipulate the weathering of an item and not only the four elements themselves was a real game-changer for him.

While Seungmin sat chuffed with himself, the vampire beside him seemed less than pleased. “I don't understand a single character. It's all a bunch of squiggles.” He huffed, throwing the notepad down and straight into Jisung’s face by mistake. The younger groaned, picking up the notepad and looking over the neat yet indecipherable squiggles.

Jisung raised a hand above him holding the notepad, his hand the only thing visible of the boy to the three sat at the table since the couch back hid him from view. “Could be a lot better.”

“We’re not getting anywhere.” Woojin finally gave up on his reading, palms dragging down his face as he sat defeated. The papers that once hung suspended in the air glided to the table as he slumped back, not wanting to read another word.

“Now what?” Jisung popped upright from his lying position, bumping heads slightly with Seungmin and resulting in tiny ‘ow’s from both parties. No one really had an answer, too drained and not having any options left to fire out. The question simmered for a moment, until a snap of the fingers caught their attention. 

“Have we thought about asking fairies?” Chan pitched, finger still in the air after his ‘eureka moment’, though nobody seemed to follow.

“Fairies? Why?” Seungmin twisted his gently throbbing head to look at the now standing vampire, face adorning a confused expression. Confusion seemed to be an overarching emotion in the household in recent days.

“They’re supposed to be the ‘all knowing smart ones’, no?” The blond furrowed his brow, not knowing why nobody else saw his genius idea as genius. All he received was sceptical looks.

“I thought that was the clairvoyance guys? Y’know like, see the unknown and shit?” Jeongin asked while everyone nodded. Apparently that's what everyone else thought too, causing a ripple effect of agreement.

Chan scoffed at the younger vampire, “Don’t be ridiculous, the unknown is called the unknown because nobody knows about it. That's not a thing, else it's not the unknown.” He explained, sounding convinced he was the one being logical. Which he was, he knew this, making him feel smarter the further the conversation went on.

“So fairies…” Felix urged him to continue, looking up at the older with curiosity.

“Yeah, they live in those enchanted forests around the world. Find them, find answers.” Chan snapped his fingers into a point, knowing look on his face as he informed the group. He turned back to the spot he was previously sitting at and flipped his book shut, making the decision that they’d no longer be wasting their time with research before the rest had even agreed.

“You sure didn't strike me as the type to know about fairies.” Finishing up his cleaning job, Seungmin stated to the blond with a dash of scepticism to his tone. His comment was met with a similar hum of agreement from Jisung beside him, the younger curious himself since he’d never heard such things either.

Chan clasped a hand of mock-offence over his chest, scoffing, “Isn’t that a little judgemental? What, just because I suck blood, I don’t seem like the type to know about the gentle, dainty creatures of the forest?” He waved his hands about in the air gracefully, presumably to imitate the ‘dainty' and ‘gentle’ beings he spoke of.

The vampire on the floor chuckled at the blond, not even looking up from the laptop he and Felix were searching on to correct the conversation. “He only knows because he freaked out when he ate one.”

“I did do that, huh.”

“That's more accurate.” Seungmin snickered under his breath.

After a few minutes of back and forth, Felix waved a hand in the air, pausing the group discussion to interrupt. “Ah! There’s a few listed here…” He pointed at the computer screen, continuing to scroll through the supernatural dark web he’d gotten into, finding a list of locations for enchanted forests, presumably. He recalled his findings to the group, reading out the ones nearby. “Y’all up for Russia or New Zealand?”

“New Zealand will be warm this time of year.” Minho reasoned, a logical one to their eyes.

“As opposed to Russia... which is cold all the time.” Hyunjin retorted with a shiver. He recalled his last trip to the location, granted he visited the more northerly points but regardless; frostbite was a considerable worry.

Felix folded up the laptop, setting it back in it's place on a shelf before he remembered another thing that may help the pieces fall into place. “Okay, if this doesn’t work out, we can always pay a visit to my family’s old friend. She’s good with old-timey mythology.” He reassured that they’d have a back-up plan just in case this fell through.  

Jeongin furrowed his brow at the other, “Or, we could split into two groups? There is like, nine of us.”

The younger nodded, realising that that idea was most likely more productive. Chan clasped his hands together, beginning to flick his fingers around the room. “Okay then— Me, Hyunjin, Minho, Jisung go to New Zealand while you five go to see Felix’s friend.”

They glanced between each other, unbothered by their teaming and happy with the idea. All agreed, except Jeongin who stood up from his spot on the couch, sporting a pout as he shuffled over to the dining table. “Can I be on team New Zealand? Please? An enchanted forest sounds way cooler.”

“Fine, Jeongin is coming with us.” Minho nodded after a moment to the delight of both the vampire himself and Jisung.

The nine organised themselves with what they’d need and prepared for departure. Woojin beckoned his spell book to his hand, indicating to the group that he was prepared to conjure up a couple of portals. He’d gotten a lot more coordinated with his power recently as he and Seungmin had been working on their respective arts together, along with Minho on the occasion he wasn’t making sure the rest weren’t going to destroy their home.

As Seungmin approached the table to gear up, Chan pulled out a phone from his pocket, a burner phone the redhead presumed since the older wasn’t stupid enough to be carrying around something that could be tracked back to him. The blond patted the younger on the shoulder, handing the device to him with his serious expression.

“Seungmin, I’m trusting you with this, okay? I would give it to Woojin but he’s going to be making sure Changbin and Felix don’t kill themselves or anyone else the whole time so…” Chan trailed, the pair glancing over to the two in question who were already established trouble makers. Woojin already looked fed up to be stuck with them, the playful shapeshifter and secretly childish vampire already bothering him about one thing or another.

“I’m honored to be second place.” The redhead deadpanned, shoving the device in his pocket.

“As you should be.”

Hyunjin clapped his hands, gaining himself the rooms attention. “Right! Woojin, portal us up!”

‘Team New Zealand’ as Jeongin had previously dubbed them gathered in the centre of the living room, the rest standing back far enough to allow Woojin to do his thing.

“Oh, _please_ _Woojin_ might be nice.” The sorcerer mumbled to himself as he struck his fingers together to activate his power. As usual, golden wisps of energy seeped from his fingers, flowing around his palms in wait of instructions. He cast the spell, opening a glowing ring that would pass the five to their intended location. Of course, he wasn’t sure of the precise location, though Felix had mentioned to him the general location after marking it more precisely on a map.

“See you guys later!” Minho waved to the four who stayed, stepping through the portal first with Hyunjin not too far behind. Before Chan went, Felix handed him a folded map to aid their search. He followed Jeongin through while nodding Jisung to follow, the boy excited to be going out on a trip with his friends.

The five disappeared out of view from the portal as Woojin shrunk it down to nothing, his energy recoiling back to its source. He turned to the three he was left with, them already huddled round a second map that Changbin had sprawled across the table.

“Okay Felix, where is this friend of yours?” Seungmin asked, smoothing out the map for them to look over. Both he and Changbin anticipated the answer, catching themselves hoping for all kinds of warm, tropical locations. A holiday is what they hoped for essentially, though they knew the purpose was far from one.

“Greenland.” Felix said nonchalantly, pointing to the large landmass covered in ice. His answer didn’t go down well with the pair, two astonished and horrified faces staring back at him.

“You’ve gotta be shitting me.” Changbin huffed out, staring back at the map. The three watched as Felix read over the details of the map, presumably working out a precise location. Despite the settlements blatantly marked out, Seungmin couldn’t help but be sceptical.

“I’m concerned you’re just taking us out into the wilderness to murder us without a trace.” The redhead huffed, half joking but half serious since the one leading the expedition was a stranger less than a day ago.

Felix let out a small laugh, shaking  his head. “If I were to do that, how would I get back again? It’s on the map you turnip. There.” He pointed a finger to a small cluster of buildings, marking them with a red pen.

“Easy enough.” Woojin cracked his knuckles, preparing to conjure another portal while Seungmin kept his confused stare on the blond.

“Turnip?”

* * *

Now in their desired country, Chan, Hyunjin, Jeongin, Jisung and Minho surveyed their surroundings, looking for any indication of their whereabouts. Since Woojin didn’t specify where he’d land them, they five were left to figure it out for themselves.

“Where in Christ's name are we?” Hyunjin asked, not liking how disorientated the location hopping portal had left him. He looked around for as far as he could see, not seeing any indications of signs or buildings to help.

While Hyunjin tried his best to figure out where they were, Jeongin gave him a surprised look. “You’re religious?” He asked, referring to his use of ‘Christ’.

“What? No, it's just an expression.” The older responded, moving over to be behind Minho, the sorcerer having taken the map from Chan since he was struggling to read it.

“An expression of blasphemy.” The younger vampire muttered.

Nothing in the immediate vicinity helped them with directions at all, nothing but trees and a thin, gravel road in front of them. They were on a slop; upwards leading to more nothing, while down was pretty similar, only a town sat in the distance at the bottom of the hill.

“Guys, can we not, maps are hard enough to read as it is.” Minho cut their bickering, having just as much trouble deciphering it as the blond had. The group huddled around the paper while gave them a look as if calling them all stupid.

“Use a phone then…” He said, tone questioning why no one had done so already.

Minho patted his pocket, throwing a hand up with a sigh at the lack of device filling it. “I don't have mine, all we have is Chan’s… Whatever that is.” He referred to the block like flip phone Chan possessed, knowing the device didn’t have the capability to google their location. It was fair enough that the vampire went with such an incapable device, it being a lot harder to hack or track than a smartphone, since they were trying to fly under the radar.

Only now noticing the town at the bottom of the hill, Chan let go of his hold on the map, muttering a quick ‘back in a sec’. He sped off in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only the rustle of the paper and the dust kicked up from the gravel. Three out of four were left shocked by the sudden disappearance, while Jeongin was unfazed.

After just a few seconds, another cloud of dust and gravel was kicked up, Chan returning to his spot. He leant over, supporting himself with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

“We’re in… Kumeu.” He panted out, 

“That helps nothing.” Jeongin deadpanned, patting Chan's back with a giggle at his struggle as he straightened up. 

Chan pointed to a spot on the map, “Well, the fairy… thing, is in the river head forest.” He circled his finger around the location he said, as well as reading what Felix had scribbled on the corner. “So about… 30 odd minutes that way.” Chan nodded up the hill, the answer met with groans of protest.

“Thirty minutes?! Your kidding.” Hyunjin whined.

“Can’t we get a bus or something?” Jisung tugged at Chan’s sleeve, puppy eyes activated.

“Buses don't run up there. Lets just go, by the time you’re all done complaining, we’ll be there.” Minho folded up the map, handing it back to Chan so they could begin their hike up the hill to their destination.

Jeongin scoffed, “You sound like my mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question; since this is going to be hella long if they all have their own arcs or something, would anyone care if I did a separate book on origin stories once this is over?  
> I mean I'll prolly do it anyway but like,,,


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> getting this up before I vanish to watch Fitz and Swagger on Minecraft Mondays oh yeahh

Only about ten minutes into their leg of the expedition, ‘Team Greenland’ were slowly losing faith in their leader.

Felix walked on ahead, trudging through the snow with an over-dramatic military-style march which he hoped would both lift their spirits and his body temperature. Not too far behind him was a mildly shivering Woojin with his spellbook jammed into his jacket to shield from any ice that may get it wet. The sorcerer and shapeshifter were the ones who knew where they were going, while the pair lagging behind hadn’t got a clue.

“Nah fuck this, you’re kidding! No one even lives here!” Seungmin shouted to the pair, gesturing wildly with his hands at the lack of, well, anything. Their search wasn’t helped by the fact that it was just about pitch black, the only light source they had was the glowing orb Woojin had conjured which gave quite an impressive amount of light considering its pocket-sized appearance.

On their initial entrance to the country, Woojin placed their portal quite the distance from their intended location, leading to a long walk in weather conditions they certainly weren't dressed for.

“False, Greenland has a population of over 56,000… somewhere.” Woojin corrected, though beginning to question the fact himself.

“Where does this friend of yours even live then?” Changbin chimed in from beside Seungmin, surprisingly unbothered by the freezing temperatures. It may have been down to his undead body that he wasn’t freezing his ass off like the rest, but Seungmin was jealous either way.

Felix began walking backwards to face them, the light-emitting globe the older sorcerer had handed him now illuminating his face to show his reddened nose and ears. The blanket wrapped around his body was a surprisingly good insulator, the cunning idea to grab them being down to Seungmin just before they left. The blond responded to the question, “She’s just outside of Narsaarsuk.”

“Bless you.” The red-headed sorcerer snickered through his cold-induced pain, receiving a nudge to his side from the vampire walking beside him. Changbin gave him a cheeky grin, Seungmin not sure whether it was because of his amusement by the joke or the fact that he made it before the vampire could. He’d picked up on Changbin’s sense of humour quickly since they had similar taste, the older being very proud.

As they continued, the answer they’d received from Felix sparked another question. Changbin furrowed his brow as he called to the boy up front, “Why doesn’t this chick live  _ in  _ the town-village-whatever-the-fuck?”

“Because the town-village-whatever-the-fuck has been evacuated as it was contaminated with plutonium.” His question was intercepted by Woojin, the sorcerer imitating his way of explaining the location with a mocking tone. Though, the vampire ignored it as he was too baffled by the information he received.  


“English please.”

Woojin rolled his eyes, spinning on his heels to face the two lagging behind. “It's radioactive. Hence why I made the portal  _ away  _ from the place.” He gestured behind them, supposedly to where he’d made the portal.

“And we’re  _ going  _ there?!” Seungmin exclaimed, eyes wide as he looked as if he feared for his life. Rightly so.

Before they could bicker and/or panic any longer, Felix interjected. “No, we’re going up there.”

The three followed where he’d pointed to, just making out in the darkness the outline of a hill with the tiniest glowing dot at the top. A sign of a settlement at that point should have been a glimmer of hope, yet Changbin sighed at the sight.

“But it's already cold down here!” The vampire whined, earning a look from Seungmin since the boy was sure he just didn’t feel the cold. On the contrary, he did, it just took a while for it to sink in.

The pair’s complaints were ignored, Woojin simply huffing out a breath and beginning his walk. However, when they turned back to Felix in expectancy of a lead, they were startled out of their wits to be met with the boy in a different form. Woojin only just managed to suppress a shout at the surprise, yet soon composed himself again to lock eyes with the beady, black ones that stared back at him.

“Felix, how the fuck have you touched a polar bear?” The sorcerer asked, more baffled now at the youngers ability to morph into the hostile creature.

When he didn’t receive a response, Woojin just shrugged and began walking alongside the large and incredibly intimidating form Felix had taken. It was obviously a warmer option that walking around as his normal state which Seungmin became immediately jealous of.

The redhead abandoned the vampire he once walked alongside, running ahead to where Felix and Woojin were. Without a word of warning, he launched himself at Felix and his furry form, vaulting himself onto his back. The shapeshifter barely reacted at the impact, only a huff leaving his nose as Seungmin sprawled himself out over the bear’s back and clung to his fur as if it were his bed sheets.

Both Changbin and Woojin chuckled at his idea to keep warm as they trudged on through the snow.

* * *

“This is adorable.” Woojin stepped up onto the porch of a little wooden cabin, flicking an icicle that had formed in the way of the entrance. Although the cold climate would normally forbid such a thing, plant pots with blooming woodland flowers sat along the porch and the window ledges. He went to touch one, assuming they were most likely fake, only to be stopped by a rippling forcefield at his touch, protecting the plants like little season-preserving bubbles. He gathered that it would be down to this person’s powers.

While Woojin adored the place, the vampire didn’t quite as much, “If it wasn’t on the top of a blizzard-prone mountain, then yeah.” Changbin ridiculed with Seungmin agreeing as he slid off of Felix’s back so that he could return to his normal state.

As he morphed out of his polar bear form to walk up the porch, Felix waved a hand at the pair to dismiss them. “Don't be so dramatic, it's a slight hill and it's gently snowing.”

“Who cares, it's cold, knock on the door.” Even Woojin had given up on pretending he was okay, a shiver hitting him at the pick-up of an icy breeze.

Felix would have rolled his eyes, but in all honesty, he was close to freezing as well. The boy decided it was in their best interest to do as Woojin had stated and knock as quickly as possible. He stepped up to the door, three others huddling behind him awaiting an answer to the door he reached for.

A little metal handle hung from the centre of the door, presumably a knocker which Felix put to use. The second the chunky handle collided with the metal below, a dim and oddly coloured light flicked on in one of the windows. In all fairness, the group were surprised the owner was even awake, what with the time zone difference making it three in the morning and not exactly an hour for one to welcome guests.

A little startling to the four, within a few seconds of the lights flickering on the inside, the lock clicked and twisted unlocked and the door swung open, revealing the occupant. They stood tall, draped in a dark cloak and hooded to shield their face, a purple glow swarming their being. The three behind the blond were a little unnerved by the appearance of the occupant, yet Felix seemed less than bothered.

“Yes?” Their voice didn’t fail to reinforce their intimidating demeanour as it boomed at the group. Seungmin flinched at the sound as he began to question Felix’s legitimacy all over again. Especially since the boy didn’t even bat an eye and simply stood there with his hands behind his back, grinning away. It wasn’t until the redhead noticed the interesting footwear the being before them wore that he figured looks could be deceiving.

After a second or two of silence, the person under the cloak let out a gasp, supposedly surprised. Their hands were revealed from beneath the dark cloth as they rose to the homeowners chest as an extra to their astonishment. They reached to the side of the doorway to another light switch, flicking on the main light to rid the ominous glow. The purple glow that swarmed around the person began to pool at their palms, collecting similar to Woojin or Minho’s powers. The sorcerer noticed this and along with the flowers he’d observed earlier, he could determine that this friend of Felix’s wasn’t too dissimilar to himself.

The violet mist collected as the person muttered a few words to themselves, the gruff voice no longer as threatening as it was riddled with bewilderment. As the spell was muttered, the footwear Seungmin observed previously began to make sense as the attire of a black cloak was removed. Along with the disappearance of the cloak, the purple revealed the true identity to the person; a girl, a significant amount shorter than first viewed, clad in an oversized shirt with sweats, somewhat of a bed head and some fuzzy looking bunny slippers.

“Felix? How on earth did you get out here?  _ Why  _ are you out here?” She pulled the boy in for a hug, her higher-pitched voice than before still showing her surprise to see the kid. She pulled away from her embrace while leaving her hands on his shoulders, looking him up and down as though she was an older relative about to comment on how much he'd grown and squeeze his cheeks.

Felix grinned back at her while trying to suppress his shivers. “Jihyo! We were kinda hoping you could help us with something…” He looked back over his shoulder at the three behind him, all incredibly surprised by her change in appearance and being in general.

She blinked at him a few times, still shocked at their presence but inviting them in anyway. “O-of course! Come in, you poor things—”

Jihyo stepped to one side of the door, waving all four to pile in all huddled in their last-minute blankets and shivering underneath them. As soon as they passed the doorway, the air around them instantly became a more normal, bearable temperature, if not warmer than average. Seungmin immediately shed his blanket and absorbed the warmth of the room and tried to find the heater in order to hang his blanket over to dry.

“Where's your heater?” He asked the girl as the others settled into the heat. She grinned, shutting the door and making her way over to the confused redhead as he couldn’t pinpoint where the warmth was coming from.

“Oh, no heater, just this—” Jihyo conjured up some more of her purple power and directed it towards the boys with a brief spell. The mist dissipated into the air, leaving a cosy warm gust to fill the room even more.

“Woah… Woojin, you need this spell.” Changbin revelled in the warmth as their chills faded away. No wonder this woman could deal with living in such a freezing cold place; with a spell like that, anywhere was inhabitable.

“Hell yeah I do, thank you.” Woojin thanked her as she provided a little more heat just to take the remainder of the chill out of the four.

“No problem, let me grab my books, they’re laying around here somewhere…” She gestured for the group to take a seat around her quaint dining table, lit scented candles in the middle that gave the room a sweet smell. Jihyo scanned her bookshelf for what she was looking for, tonnes of books from normal novels to spellbooks to D.I.Y guides stacked above a counter.  


She pulled out a couple as the group watched, Woojin recognising one as a type similar to something his mother once showed him from her own collection. Maybe Jihyo was a witch of some description? It would make sense, after all.

She took her spot at the head of the table, placing down a couple of books in front of her. She began to flick through one with one hand while her other revved up to perform another spell. Woojin recognised the action as the way he would cause things to levitate and move at his will and sure enough, the kitchen cupboards swung open. Her violet powers caused four patterned mugs to place themselves on the table and prepare for her next moves. Once the book fell to the page she needed, a couple of words were spoken, some recognisable from one of the sorcerer’s cooking spells, and their mugs began to fill with a steaming hot chocolate drink.

“So, what's your issue?” She flipped the book shut, satisfied with the sight of four delighted faces already sipping at their cups. Since three of the four were too busy being impressed by her ability, Felix began to explain the reason behind their presence.

“So we have this artefact thing, right? And there may or may not be an underworld worshipping cult after it for some ritual.” The shapeshifter nodded, taking a sip from his drink as he let Jihyo take in the information. Her eyes widened in surprise of the boy’s ramble of an explanation as multiple questions sprung to mind.

“Do you know what this ritual is for? Like, what they’re trying to do?” She decided this would be the best of the questions in terms of getting useful answers and hopefully be a help. It did concern her that such an item was in the possession of a bunch of kids, but then again, who knew what was going on with the world nowadays when you live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Woojin commented this time as he noticed Felix with a mouthful of hot chocolate and not much of a clue how to explain anyway. “Extracting supernatural power. At least we think…”

His ending caused Felix to splutter over his drink, brows raising at the three boys he sat with. “We  _ think _ ? Hyunjin seemed like he knew what he was talking about!”

“Hyunjin could be wrong, we never know.” Seungmin spoke between sips, his hands cupped around the mug as he used it as if it were a heater. He got a nod of agreement from the other sorcerer, causing Felix to twitch his head to one side briefly, realising that yeah, that's fair.

“Do you know where it came from?” Jihyo gained their attention again, interested in their predicament. She didn’t get many visitors all the way out in her quaint settlement of one, so she wanted to make the most of her opportunity to be of service. Her legs were folded up below her to get a boost in her chair to lean into the table, intrigue piqued.

“Nope, no idea what it is, where it's from,  _ when _ it's from... “ Changbin broke the very much unhelpful news as he spun his empty mug in his hands. When Jihyo noticed that the vampire had finished, she simply gave her hand another wave and refilled his cup.

Felix could easily breeze over what the others were so impressed by, having seen it a million times before meant the novelty eventually wore off. He continued, “I was hoping you could tell us something about it..? You know lots of stuff about lots of things.”

“That I do.” She chuckled, flipping open a book from in front of her and blowing off the dust that caked the page. She held out a hand towards Felix as she read, without lifting her gaze. “Okay, let's have a look then.”

Realising that she meant she wanted to look at the item in question, Felix chuckled awkwardly at her gaze that grew more questionable by the second. It was then that he realised the error in the group’s plan. “Uh… yeah, we don't have it, Jisung does…”

Jihyo simply sighed, closing her eyes for a second as she suppressed a chuckle. “Felix, how did you expect me to tell you about an item I haven't even seen?” She asked the boy who began to question why he hadn’t thought of that issue to begin with. Jisung, along with the artefact, were halfway around the planet at that point so how could Jihyo possibly understand and advise them on the thing.

He turned to the other three, looking for either back-up or a solution to the problem, only to find blank expressions staring back as if asking the same question.  


“To be fair, this was a very rushed plan!” Felix defended himself in hopes of not getting too much shit for leading forth on an essentially pointless mission. If they’d trekked through all that ice and snow to be met with absolutely nothing, he’d never hear the end of it. Either that or become the snack he was originally supposed to be.

“Oh! I know—” Seungmin hopped up from his chair and headed for the door. While the blond boy was glad that he may have a saviour, he and the rest were utterly confused by Seungmin's exit. They waited for a few moments, staring at the door that Seungmin had darted out of and left swinging open behind him.

He returned no more than thirty seconds later, using his foot to close the front door behind him as he carried a pile of ice in his palms. Snowflakes plastered his entire body from the few seconds outside but he ignored them even as they began to melt and dampened his clothing.

Seungmin stood beside the table where he previously sat, abandoning the large scoop of snow on the surface. He flicked his hands about to supposedly get rid of the excess moisture the slowly melting ice left. Wiping them on his jeans, he only noticed all eyes on him when he looked up from his little snow pile.

“Why has this child dumped a pile of snow on my table?” Jihyo turned to Felix, obviously not knowing the names of the others so asking the boy of his friend's peculiar actions. The blond could only shrug, unsure himself.

Seungmin only grinned when he regained all their attention. His palms began to strain with a green-tinted essence as he began to exert his power, surrounding the ice on the table before him. The others watched as it rose slowly in the air, morphing shape and packing together tighter, even the melting, liquid parts cooperating with his movements.

It took the red-headed boy no longer than half a minute to manipulate the shape and density of the ice in his control into the desired shape. That being an exact replica, minus the colour, of the item they weren't in the possession of. Since the boy had spent a good three hours staring at the item while cleaning it up, every last detail was just about ingrained into his memory, making it pretty easy to create an accurate replica. Once complete, he gestured for Jihyo to take it from it's spot which she hesitated to do, though took it soon after noticing the boy’s proud grin.

“Well, there it is...” Changbin remarked, impressed by Seungmin’s accuracy as he’d watched the item take shape. What was even more impressive was that as long as Seungmin’s energy held its effect, the snow wouldn't melt at all.

Icy replica now sat in Jihyo’s palms, she inspected the item with great interest. She scanned over every last design and character belonging to a language they had no idea of the origin while gracing her fingers along each crevice. Her face contorted as she continued to assess with much care and let her brow furrow as she thought carefully about what she viewed.

“Incredible… I’ve never seen anything like it…” she mumbled, shifting the item into one hand in order to start flipping through a book with the other. Her purple power drifted idly in the air as she occasionally borrowed bits from her surroundings to flip pages hands-free. As she read through pages and pages of different items of mythical descent, similar to what Woojin had already attempted, her confusion only grew with her curiosity.

“Great.” Felix huffed. Jihyo’s words weren’t the best in the ways of help or faith that they’d ever get any at all. He knew that if Jihyo hadn’t ever seen the item before, it would surely be something of a rarity.

Picking up on his disheartened state, the woman placed a hand over his, reassuring as she spoke. “Though, that doesn’t mean I can’t help. Whoever retrieved it in the first place, they need to take you to its origin. Logically speaking, you’ll probably get some answers from there.” She waved her hands to flip her books shut and handed the makeshift artefact back to its creator.  


The group looked between each other as Seungmin passed the chunk of snow on his hands between his palm as if playing a game of hot potato. At a loss for information between the four of them, all they could do was hope that the boy in possession of it would know where the mysterious item originated from. Gathering that their stay was coming to a close, the three boys still sat at the table stood from their seats in preparation to leave. Woojin tutted, stretching his arms knowing he was going to have to fire up another portal to get them home in a few moments. “Looks like Jisung is leading this one then.”

At the second mention of the boy’s name, Jihyo glanced curiously at the sorcerer who spoke it again. “You say this friend of yours has the artefact too? How come the useful one isn’t here?” She gestured with her hand to nothing in particular, perhaps the empty space that Jisung could have filled. While the others thought about just how flawed their splitting up plan had been, Seungmin answered the questioning woman.

“He and the rest of our group went to some enchanted forest looking for fairies for answers. Like we did here.” To their surprise, Jihyo’s face dropped to one of bewilderment, eyes widening for a moment or two while her hands retracted the last of her lingering power.

“You found a legit one?” She asked, though not the question they anticipated. Felix rose a brow, surprised that the woman he’d known for so long who supposedly knew just about everything was clueless on two subjects in the span of ten minutes.

“Yeah…? They’re all over the place. There was one near us; New Zealand.” Changbin nodded along as Felix explained. While his comment was expected to clear things up, it only seemed to do the opposite.

Jihyo processed the information she was given and gripped her combative spell book on instinct. While the research books still sat on the table, the book she held had been stored in her clothing the whole time. Woojin saw the smaller than average book and recognised its imprints rather quickly as one type he wished he inherited from his own mother. While general practice spells were handy, they weren't too much use when it came to anything other than domestic tasks and mild threats.

“Oh no… Do you have any way to communicate with your friends?” Her voice and demeanour suddenly became more intense, serious. She was clearly becoming panicked at the news and concern flooded her system. Her change in behaviour triggered Changbin’s danger instinct, eyes marginally darkening as his fangs extended to peak past his lips.  


“What? Why?” Seungmin asked, also on edge but a little more confused by the sudden tense change of pace. He pulled out the phone he was put in charge of, pulling up the only number in it ready to call.

Jihyo eyed the vampire to her side, wary of her next words as the fangs weren’t exactly comforting. “The only remaining fairies went into hiding not too long ago. They were all invaded by some little, hellrealm, deformed, death beings that wanted the forests to themselves to lure people—” She paused her explanation, seeing the blond boy less panicked and more confused. Felix stifled a small giggle at her rambling explanation, not quite taking it as seriously as he should have. His face read scepticism and judgement, earning a smack to the arm from the woman. “Don’t look at me like that, nobody named them yet! No one has ever seen them before this so—”

“All I'm hearing is goblins.” Changbin piped up, retracting his fangs after hearing the real threat. They didn't sound all that threatening to him at all.  


Jihyo hummed, correcting his statement. “More like pixies gone rogue actually but that works I guess.”  


Seungmin had already stepped aside to try to call the rest of their group with the outdated mobile before the other three could even tell him to. While they waited, Jihyo stepped towards her cupboard of books, pulling out another as she approached Woojin once again.

“You’re in witchcraft, I take it?” She questioned, glancing to his side at the book jutting from his jacket. He nodded with a small smile which the other returned. Jihyo reached for his hand, taking it and pulling it up in front of him for her to place the book in. “Here.”

Just by looking at the beautifully patterned leather cover, he knew this wasn’t exactly a run-of-the-mill, generic made spell book. The incantations on the cover dated back to well over three times his life span ago, making it one to have been personalised for somebody somewhere. The fact that Jihyo was just going to give this to him for no reason at all didn't seem to sit well with him, feeling too guilty or unworthy.

“Oh, no I couldn’t—” He attempted to pass it back to the woman, only to be stopped by an insisting hand.

“Please, take it. I have no use for this one anymore. It’ll help.” It was clear she wanted him to take it, wanted to share her craft with another like she’d wanted to do for so long. If she could, she would’ve shared it all with Felix years ago, yet he’d have no use or understanding for it.

She flipped open a page while it sat in Woojin’s hands, scanning over different types of spells just to show what it had to offer. “Mostly attacks…” She continued flipping through various combat spells and mantras, finally falling to a less threatening section towards the back, lowering her voice as she spoke. “But, there are some very handy mellow ones in there for uh, them.”

On her last words, she gestured to both the vampire and shapeshifter who had enveloped in a bickering match of some sort. She pointed to a spell with a giggle, implying to use the spell titled “mute” on the pair which he’d be sure to do in the future.

After thanking Jihyo too many times to count and scanning through a bundle of new spells to learn, Woojin tucked the book away with his other as Seungmin included himself to the group again with some annoyance to his voice. “Okay, Chan’s not picking up. Hypocrite.” He stuffed the device back in his pocket, ready to head out.

“We’re gonna have to go find them then,” Felix appeared again at the news, turning to Jihyo with a smile. “Thank you for your help.”

“Sorry I couldn’t be more… Good luck.” She pulled him in for a hug, squeezing tightly around the boy as she always did.

While they bid their farewells, Woojin sparked up another gate for them to travel through, to roughly the same area he’d originally dropped ‘team New Zealand’ off at. How they’d find them, they weren’t too sure, but hopefully, it would be soon enough.  


“See you soon, probably.” Felix waved as the group piled through, the blond being the last to go. She grinned widely as the boy departed, portal closing behind him.

“See you soon, Pal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> really though if you've bookmarked, left kudos, commented, or just read and enjoyed anything I've written, thank you so much me gustas tu :)


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